Here With Me
by highlander-bellflower
Summary: Tommy is missing, and his rebellious younger sister has set out looking for him, and along the way stumbles upon his Ranger past.
1. Part 1: Aimee

_Disclaimer: Power Rangers is Saban's world, not mine. Title comes from the song "Here With Me" is by Dido and I don't own that either. So please don't sue the broke college student, there's nothing here of worth! _

I apologize for the long time between postings, and that's one of the reasons why I have reposted the previous sections. That, and I've taken down the song lyrics originally posted in the beginning of each section.

_Reviews and constructive criticism, as always, are greatly appreciated. _

Here With Me Part One

2003-2006 by Amie Martin

-- Aimee --

Struck by a sudden wave of nervousness, I paused in the doorway to the place I had once known well. I hadn't set foot in this place since I was 15.

That was five years ago. Five years ago this place was known as the Angel Grove Youth Center. Five years ago this had been the most popular hangout in town. Five years ago I knew who I was. Five years ago everything was so much simpler.

They say that the more things change, the more things stay the same. Personally, I couldn't see it. All I could see were the changes. My father was still an asshole; that hadn't changed. But everything else... five years ago, I would have never seen myself in this situation.

My mother died three years ago. Since I was 17, the powers that be decided that I had to live with my father until my 18th birthday. And the only person, the only stabilizing element in my life was nowhere to be found.

My older brother, Tommy Oliver.

Every time I'd ever needed him, he had always been there for me. My shoulder to cry on, my conscience when I needed one, even when I didn't want it... in short, he was the only person who would ever understand me, no questions asked. Tommy was my best friend as well as my big brother. I could never imagine life without him.

So, when he turned up missing, I made it my mission to find him. And, almost two years later, I found myself standing in the doorway to the last lead I had to my brother's whereabouts, and I was nervous.

Nervous that my last lead would lead me to nowhere. The place wasn't even the Youth Center anymore; the sign above the door read, "Adele's Surf Spot." What could I hope to find here, really? Not much, once I thought about it.

For Tommy's sake, I pushed the thought from my mind. He didn't need my negativity. But when I found him, boy, was he going to get a piece of my mind. Making me go to all these lengths to find him... if I didn't love him to death, I would have never done this. Never.

Drawing a deep breath, I walked inside the former Youth Center, deciding that I couldn't stand in the doorway forever. I was an Oliver, a woman of action. Act first, think later. It had always seemed like a good motto to me.

The changes to the place slammed into me, as if I had walked into a brick wall. This wasn't the same place Tommy had showed me, all those years before. There were pool tables where the lifting equipment and training mats used to be. The center of the room, where Tommy had poured his blood, sweat, and tears into his karate classes, were far too populated for my tastes. Surfing items and memorabilia decorated the walls. The only place remotely familiar was the upper tier, where the bar and tables still were.

Coming home, my ass. This wasn't home. Home wasn't supposed to undergo a radical change in a short five years. The bitterness welled up inside me, and it took a lot of self-control to ignore my sudden desire to break something, to do something to release the growing tension inside me. It was a worthless pursuit, coming back to Angel Grove. I should have seen it from the very beginning.

"Is there something I can help you with, child? Seems to me like you're lost."

I turned to see a black woman standing beside me, a concerned look on her face. Her eyes seemed open and friendly, and there was a warmth to her that was almost begging for me to trust her. What would Tom do in this situation? I asked myself.

So, I managed a weak smile and admitted, "Actually, I'm not sure if you can. You see, I'm not sure exactly who I would talk to."

"Well, I'm the owner of this place, so I guess I'm your woman." Smiling, she held her hand out to shake mine. I, of course, accepted. I never said I was without manners. "I'm Adele. What's your name?"

"Aimee Oliver." Actually, my first name was Aimee-Jean, but hardly anyone ever called me by my full name, except when they were extremely angry with me. Tommy, of course, being my brother, had nicknamed me AJ. It was only one of his many qualities that I missed about him.

"Well, find yourself a seat while I get us some smoothies." Adele's voice had a soothing quality to it, and the bitterness in me eased somewhat. "I'll be right back."

Choosing a table tucked into the corner, I sat down and pulled an old photograph out of my jacket pocket. It was of Tommy and I, taken on my 17th birthday. We were both smiling in the picture; Tommy, his hair pulled back into his characteristic ponytail, had his arm wrapped around my shoulders, and I leaned into the embrace. That was the last time I had seen or heard from him.

Some birthday present.

"Here we go." Adele sat down across from me, handing me a tall glass filled with a pink frothy concoction. "Now, tell me how I can help you."

I sipped my smoothie before beginning. "All right. I used to come here several years ago, back when this place was the Angel Grove Youth Center."

She whistled under her breath. "That was a long time ago, child."

"I know, it's been five years." I shook my head as if to clear it. "My brother and his friends used to hang out here all the time, teaching classes, working out, just having a good time in general. This is where we used to meet up."

"But something's changed now, not just me buying the bar from Ernie."

My voice caught in my throat, and I coughed. "That's putting it nicely. You see, my brother Tommy, he's... gone. He and my dad had a... disagreement, a falling out, and he just took off. No one in my family has seen or heard from him in almost three years. I took it upon myself to find him."

Adele's hand covered my own, and from her touch I could tell that she felt sorry for me. But I didn't want her pity; I wanted Tommy back. "That's terrible."

Nodding, I continued. "This is the last lead I have to his whereabouts. I don't know why he might have come back here, but you can't leave stones unturned, right?" I smiled at the reference, knowing that my strength was failing. "I have a picture. Maybe you've seen him..."

"Let me see."

Sliding the picture across the table to her, I could barely fight the panic that welled within my chest. From the expression on Adele's face, the way her eyebrows furrowed together, I knew she hadn't seen Tommy. The knowledge was almost too much for me to bear. For all intents and purposes, Tommy was gone; for all I knew, he could be gone forever.

"What did you say his name was?"

"Huh?" Adele's words startled me. "His name? Oh, it's Tommy. Tommy Oliver."

Sadly, she shook her head, handing the picture back to me. "I can't say that I've seen him recently," she said, genuine regret in her voice. "But if I do, I'll be sure to tell him that you're looking for him."

"Here's my cell phone number." On a napkin, I jotted down the number as well as my name. Every little bit helped... "I really appreciate your time. I know it may seem like a lost cause to you..."

Rising from her seat, Adele laid a hand on my shoulder. "Nothing is a lost cause if you believe in it," she told me, "and I'm more than willing to help if I can. Keep the smoothie; the first one's on the house." With that she walked away, leaving me alone with a fruit smoothie and an old photograph, not to mention the memories.

The tears welled up behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I had cried too much in the past three years, and I was most certainly not about to start crying in public. Instead I rested my head in my hands, massaging my temples as if it would make the pain go away.

This was it; this was the end of the line. I had nowhere to go after this. Almost two years were down the drain, and I had nothing to show for it. I couldn't give up on Tommy; I would never give up on Tommy. But I couldn't keep looking for him, not like this. At least before I had direction, something to lead my way.

Now, I was going to need a little help.


	2. Part 2: Jason

_Disclaimer: Power Rangers is Saban's world, not mine. Title comes from the song "Here With Me" is by Dido and I don't own that either. So please don't sue the broke college student, there's nothing here of worth! _

I apologize for the long time between postings, and that's one of the reasons why I have reposted the previous sections. That, and I've taken down the song lyrics originally posted in the beginning of each section.

_Reviews and constructive criticism, as always, are greatly appreciated. _

Here With Me Part Two

2003-2006 by Amie Martin

-- Jason --

It was impossible for me to forget about my teenage years. Granted, being a Power Ranger meant I lived a more... colorful life than most, but that's not the only thing that made them memorable. All of the good times with my friends outweighed all the monsters and battles we fought as Rangers.

My friends... we had all grown so far apart in the past few years. Zack and Trini were still in Geneva, working at the peace conference, making a difference in the world. Kimberly was in Florida, becoming the gymnastics star we always knew she would. Billy was on Aquitar, putting his genius to good use. And Tommy, last I knew, was heating it up on the racing circuit.

As for me, Jason Scott... well, Angel Grove had always been my home, and I had always wanted to open my own dojo. What better place to make my dreams come true than in my own hometown?

So, I saved up the money and bought the building next to Adele's Surf Spot. Since the Youth Center had closed, the majority of my students had started their training with either Tommy or myself and were eager to join up again. The Red Dragon Dojo had been open for a little more than a year now, and I was proud to say that the business was doing well. It seemed as if I had finally made a name for myself.

After classes were done for the day, I usually went next door to the Surf Spot for a smoothie. Just paying homage to the good old days, I guess. But today, something was different. I noticed it as soon as I walked through the door.

There was a young woman sitting at my usual table in the back corner. Her head was resting in her hands, her fingers lost in her dark hair. She could be contemplating the future of mankind, or fighting back a wave of tears; I was too far away to know for sure. Being the kind guy I was, I wasn't about to kick her out of the table, but I was intrigued by her very presence. She wasn't the type of girl you would normally see at the Surf Spot; the black leather jacket and pants she wore painfully set her apart from the laidback atmosphere of the place.

And yet I felt a sense of familiarity with her, as if I knew her. Somehow I knew that she would be just as comfortable in sweatpants and a t-shirt or even a prom dress as she was in that leather outfit, if it fit her mood that day. Until she raised her head, I had no idea why.

It suddenly struck me why it seemed like I knew her so well. I _had_ known her, years ago. It was in the faraway look in her eyes and the brooding expression on her face. Once upon a time, I had seen this girl as my little sister. Only now it was obvious just how grown up she had become...

She was Aimee-Jean Oliver, my best friend Tommy's younger sister. Tommy and I were the only ones she would let call her AJ. Otherwise it was just Aimee, or Aim or Ames, depending on her mood. The greatest surprise was that I could still remember the first time I met her, eight years before...  
_  
-- Flashback—Eight years before --_

"What time is it?" Tommy asked, wringing his hands together nervously. His foot was tapping in a fast staccato pace, and he made no sign of slowing down.

"It's 11:37," I told him, checking my watch again just to make sure. "Two minutes ago, you asked me the same question."

"Sorry, Jase. It's just that I'm, well... a little nervous." Unclenching his hands, Tommy glanced back towards the entrance to the Youth Center. "It's been a while."

Zack motioned for the two of us to join him and the others at our usual table. "Sit down and tell us all about it," he offered. They were all there—Kim, Billy, Trini, and Zack, plus Tommy and I. The original Power Rangers, off duty.

Flashing an easy smile, Trini asked, "So, what are you waiting for?"

"I believe the correct question would be who," Billy stated, hazel eyes hardly visible behind his thick glasses. "It's obvious that you're waiting for someone to arrive."

"Ooh, a hot date?" Zack teased.

Despite Zack's comment, the smile that appeared on Tommy's face could only grow wider and wider. "My sister is coming to visit me today," he told us, beaming. "I haven't been able to see her since Dad and I moved to Angel Grove."

"Hey, you never told us you had a sister!" Kim exclaimed, throwing a straw wrapper at Tommy's head. He pretended not to notice.

I, on the other hand, knew about Tommy's little sister. He'd told me all about her during one of our conversations after Tommy officially joined the team. I knew how close the two of them were, and I knew how the divorce had hit them hard. "Her name is Aimee," I informed them, "and from what I hear she's quite the handful."

Tommy nodded in acknowledgement but still continued to smile. "Aimee can be a little, well... rough around the edges. She's one of those people who always goes with her instincts and emotions, whether they're good or bad." He began to drum his fingers on the table. "She's not so bad once you get to know her."

Zack raised one eyebrow. "Just how old is she again?"

Grinning sheepishly, Tommy answered, "Today is her 12th birthday. I promised I'd take her around town and show her the highlights of Angel Grove."

"That's a good birthday present," Trini commented, sipping her drink. "A visit to her father and brother, complete with the grand tour. It sounds like fun to me."

Something darkened in Tommy's eyes, and I knew it had something to do with his father. From what I had gathered, it seemed as if there was some conflict between father and daughter that was a major factor in the divorce. At the very least, I knew it was why Aimee and Tommy didn't live together.

"Guys, do me a huge favor. My dad doesn't know that Aimee's coming, because Aimee has no intention of seeing him." Tommy's voice was low, with a tone that said he meant he was serious. "Just don't mention him to her, all right? I'm not going to be able to deal with it if you do."

"All right," Kim agreed.

"We understand," Billy added.

The darkness faded, and Tommy smiled again. "The only part I hate is the waiting," he said, his foot tapping again. "Mom said she'd bring Aimee here for 11:30, and it's—Jase, what time is it?"

Time for you to buy a watch, I thought. "11:43," I obliged.

"See? 11:43, and she's still not here."

"She's bound to be late," Kim said matter-of-factly. "After all, she's _your_ sister."

The entire table erupted into laughter, while Tommy groaned in mock embarrassment. We all knew who forgetful Tommy could be, and lateness seemed to be his trademark. He was a great guy, but it was easy to bust on him—as his best friend, I knew that fact all too well. As Rangers, we needed the release the humor gave us. We, too, were human. It was a fact all too easily forgotten.

As the laughter died down, a loud female voice shouted, "Tommy! Thomas John Oliver, you show your face right now!" She sounded young and impatient, but at the same time she had a captivating quality to her, almost demanding my attention.

At the sound of her voice, Tommy jumped up from his seat, just in time to catch the petite form who threw herself into his arms. All I could see was a mass of dark hair as brother and sister alike began speaking rapidly, as if it had been years since they had last seen each other. Tommy said that the last time had been before he moved to Angel Grove, and he'd been a Ranger for nearly a month... the time difference had been longer than I had originally thought.

"I hope my son has such an enthusiastic greeting for me as well," a woman said from behind them.

"I could never have anything less for you, Mom," Tommy said, grinning. His sister graciously let him go as he moved forward to embrace his mother.

It was the first good look the rest of us had at Tommy's little sister. As much as I knew about her beforehand, I certainly hadn't expected her to look like this. I had heard tales of a boisterous, rebellious, at times uncontrollable girl whose big mouth was matched only her courage to stand up for her convictions. A girl who followed her heart, wherever it might take her—and to think, I had expected someone more like Tommy.

Instead, the girl who stood before me was short, barely over five feet tall, and slim, with a grace I couldn't quite put a name to. Her face was rounder than Tommy's, the edges less sharp, her skin a shade lighter. She had the same dark hair, reaching down to her waist, held back by a simple green headband. And her eyes... I had expected a deep brown, just like her brother, but hers were an expressive bright green, matching her headband perfectly. At that moment those eyes were shining with happiness, but they also held glimmers of pain and darkness past.

That was when I knew that she was, indeed, Tommy's sister.

"I'll be back around six to pick Aimee up," Mrs. Oliver was saying, brushing a strand of hair out of Tommy's eyes. "I'll meet you right back here at the Youth Center.

"But Mom," the girl immediately started to protest, "I thought we had until nine or ten o'clock—"

"You have dance rehearsal tonight, remember? The performance is less than two weeks away. You know what that means."

She sighed, defeated. "I know, I know. Practice makes perfect."

"That's my girl." Mrs. Oliver kissed each of her children in turn, and subsequently both of them blushed. "The two of you behave. Especially you, Aimee. I mean it."

Smiling meekly, her daughter answered, "I would never do otherwise." Her smile, too, was like Tommy's, slightly crooked, but it lit up her entire face.

The look in Mrs. Oliver's eyes said she didn't believe a word, and from what I'd heard of Aimee's exploits, I couldn't blame her. "Sure, whatever you say. I'll see you at six."

As Mrs. Oliver walked away, Tommy turned to his sister and asked, "So, when's the performance? You know I want to go."

"Why? So you can stand me up like you did for the last one?" Her voice was sharp and bitter, her green eyes becoming hardened pieces of jade. So this was his sister's dark side, activated by a few simple words. I made a mental note never to get on her bad side.

"I already explained that to you, AJ. Something really important came up suddenly and I couldn't make it." Everyone at the table knew what had happened—a sudden monster attack, courtesy of Rita Repulsa. "You're not still upset about it, I can tell by your eyes. It's just phantom anger."

Her voice fell to a whisper. "It was the first promise you ever broke to me." Then, she added, her voice stronger, "And it's not phantom anger either. I can assure you that what I'm feeling right now is very, very real."

Tommy shook his head, as if this banter between them was just part of a game. "No, it's not. I know you too well. If you were really angry, you'd be throwing things and screaming and cursing. I wouldn't know what to do with you. Besides, I kept this promise, didn't I? Do I have your faith in me once again?"

He raised one eyebrow, and a small giggle escaped her lips. It was as if the five of us observers had been give a rare glimpse of what Tommy's life had been like before coming to Angel Grove, before becoming a Power Ranger. It was a chance I didn't think we'd have again.

"I'll forgive you," she said, "on one condition."

"Which is..."

"You have to introduce your friends to me." Their smiles were identical; whatever dark moment there had been between them had passed.

Taking her arm, Tommy led her to a seat at our table. Oddly enough, it was the seat next to me. "I was planning on doing that anyway, so it's not much of a punishment." He gestured to us one by one as he introduced us. "This is Zack; he's a dancer, just like you. Next to him are Trini, who's into martial arts, and Kim, who's a gymnast. Then there's Billy, our resident genius, and next to you is my best friend Jason."

There were greetings and murmured hellos from around the table, and in the midst of it all was Tommy, standing behind his sister, his hands resting on her shoulders. I had never seen him look so proud to introduce her to this part of his life, even if she could never know of the power that bound the six of us together. It was a bridge for him, a way to bring the two halves of his life together. In that moment, I understood exactly what Tommy was trying to accomplish.

"Guys... this is my little sister, Aimee."

_-- End Flashback --_

I shook my head, as if doing so would make the memory go away. I didn't want to believe that the broken girl before me was Aimee, the same self- assured girl I'd met eight years before. Her long hair was gone, now just barely reaching her collarbone, and her skin looked paler than I remembered. My mind was searching for any reason that would prove she was not Aimee-Jean Oliver.

But the look in her eyes was all too familiar—it was the same look Tommy had whenever dark thoughts clouded his mind. It had been at least three years since I had last seen her, and we used to be close... maybe my presence could help her. I _wanted_ to help her.

My feet moving of their own accord, I found myself standing in front of her table. Cautiously I rested my hands on the back of the chair, restless, hoping my instincts weren't leading me astray. She was looking down at something on the table, but I couldn't see what it was. She had no idea I was even there.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

She looked up sharply, anger flashing in her eyes from being disturbed. But recognition melted it away, and a lost, sad smile spread across her face. Rising from her seat, she stood to face me, holding her hand out as if to draw me closer.

"Jase," she whispered. Even her voice had changed, the giddiness of childhood gone, darkness and disillusionment creeping in. The object of her attention was an old picture of her and Tommy; her green eyes were filled with tears. How could this have possibly happened? I couldn't help but wonder.

Taking her hand, I pulled her towards me and wrapped her in a comforting hug. My heart went out to her; she had never been one to openly cry in public. To have her on the verge of tears like this... whatever happened had to be drastic.

"Aimee-Jean," I murmured into her hair softly. "You're most certainly the last person I expected to see here."

"Since when have I lived up to anyone's expectations?" The comment was typical Aimee, blunt and irreverent, marred only by the fact that her face was buried in my chest. "Besides, if I had my choice, I wouldn't have come back here."

"Not even for me?" I pulled away from her so I could look down at her. To my surprise and delight, there was an almost cocky expression on her face, reminiscent of the Aimee of old, even with the tears in her eyes.

Hitting my shoulder playfully, Aimee rested one hand on her hip and said, "Well, maybe I would for you, if you had bothered to call every once in a while."

I let my jaw drop in mock surprise, something I knew she'd appreciate. "Me? You're the one who practically fell off the face of the planet."

"I would never do something that drastic. I've got places to go and people to piss off... you know, responsibilities." Aimee shrugged. I could tell from her tone of voice that she was joking, but something laid beneath the façade. "It takes up a lot of my time lately."

"Well, I've got plenty of time to listen." I took a seat at the table and gestured for her to do the same. "Share a smoothie with me while we play catch up. You know you want to."

Laughing, she sat down across from me. "Right now, Jase, I've got all the time in the world. So, what's new in your life?"

Already she was trying to divert the topic away from herself. I decided to play along for now. "I bought the building next to Adele's and opened my own dojo," I told her, leaning back in the chair. "We've been doing really well the past year."

"That sounds just like you." Sipping her smoothie, Aimee asked, "What's the name of the place? I hope you picked out something good."

"The Red Dragon Dojo." Pride filled my voice, a pride I knew I deserved. "When the Youth Center closed, a lot of kids suddenly had nowhere to train and no one to teach them. A lot of my former students signed right back up. A lot of Tommy's did, too."

"Of course. It's easy to fall in love with a sport like that."

Nodding, I continued. "And, of course, I went to college and got a business degree. I don't want my dojo to fall apart just because I can't keep track of my finances."

"I'd expect no less of you. Running a dojo is a good job for you, turning something you've always loved into a way to make a living."

"What about you? Where are you going to college?" I wasn't going to keep talking about myself forever; at some point, she was going to open up whether she wanted to or not.

A moment passed before Aimee answered, and she wouldn't look me in the eye. When she spoke again, her voice was barely a whisper, the picture on the table capturing all of her attention. "I didn't go."

"What?" I was surprised; I thought Aimee had wanted to go to college, getting a degree so she could follow her dream—opening a dance studio. "But you still dance, right?"

Again, the soft voice, the hesitant response. "No."

Now I knew something must have happened if Aimee had completely given up on her dancing career. Someone as good and as dedicated as she was wouldn't just abandon it all for no reason. Covering her hand with my own, I asked quietly, "What happened, AJ? You know you can tell me anything."

She looked up at me, the pain creeping back into her green eyes. "Jason, when was the last time you heard from my brother?" Her use of my full name—something Aimee never did—told me she meant business.

I thought about the question for a minute before answering. "Tommy sent me an email about a year ago," I mused, "but I don't have anything more recent than that. Why do you ask?"

Her eyes went wide at my response. "Then you're the last one to hear from him," she said, her first expression of hope all day. "Jase, you have to tell me what he told you."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. Why am _I_ the last one to hear from Tommy?" I was confused, but I knew that, if anything could upset her this much, this would be it. Aimee and Tommy had always been close...

"Because Dad and Tommy finally had their falling out, and he took off." Aimee shrugged, as if I should have seen that part coming. "The last time I've seen or heard from him was my 17th birthday, almost three years ago."

"It's not like him to lose touch like that. You are one of the most important things in his life." I shook my head, trying to process all of the information and not quite succeeding. "Wait—are you saying that you'll be 20 this year?"

My comment elicited a small smile from her. "Time flies, Jase. Tommy's only three years older than me, remember." She quieted, becoming somber again. "And I don't know if Tommy tried to go back to Mom and I after the falling out, because we weren't there..."

Aimee looked away from me then, as if the memory was too much to bear. "Jase," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears, "Mom's dead. Mom's dead and Tommy's gone... now I'm the one who's gone looking for him, because no one else will... I don't even know if anyone told him about Mom..."

Without even thinking about what I was doing, I realized that I was kneeling beside Aimee's chair, pulling her into a tight hug. In response, Aimee rested her head on my shoulder, accepting the comfort I offered even though she wouldn't allow herself to cry. We were drawing attention to ourselves, I knew, but I didn't care. Aimee—a girl so close, I was surprised how my old feelings had surfaced again so quickly—was in pain, all alone, and I was the only friend she had left in Angel Grove. If I wouldn't help her, then who would?

"What happened after your mom died?" I didn't want to ask Aimee how it happened; I didn't want the memories to be too much for her.

"The fucking state of California, that's what happened." Her words stunned me; I had forgotten how she could be when angry or upset. "The court told me that, since I was 17, I had to live with my dad until I came of age. I figured that I might be able to deal if Tom was with me, but he never showed up for the funeral..." Aimee's voice trailed off, and I felt her sigh against me. "If he knew what happened, Tom would have been there. I know it."

"Of course. Like I said before, you are one of the most important things in his life. He'd never forget about you, or your mom."

Lifting her head so she could see me, Aimee whispered, "You understand it now, don't you? I have to find Tom, to tell him what happened, to find some peace in my life. College and dance... it doesn't matter so much anymore. Finding Tommy does."

"I take it that you took off on your 18th birthday and have been looking for Tommy ever since."

She chuckled sadly. "You know me too well, Jase. Should I be concerned?"

"No, I'm just like a... big brother, almost: a shoulder to cry on and protection as needed." I held up a hand to stop the protest I knew was coming. "And don't even say it. I know you're perfectly capable of protecting yourself, but it's a big brother complex."

"You and Tommy both."

Now it was my turn to laugh. Aimee's dark mood was fading as her emotions shifted. I, too, had to shift with her. "Feel better now?"

"Yeah." Aimee giggled, just like she had eight years ago. "You'd better knock off that protection bullshit too, because I don't need a babysitter."

Sometimes I beg to differ, I thought to myself. "I'll help you find Tommy," I told her, hoping that she could see the sincerity in my eyes. "I'm sure that if we work together, we'll find him in no time."

"You'd do that for me?" she asked, astounded.

"He's my best friend, after all, and I'd like to find out what he's been up to," I fired back, grinning. "Besides, what are big brothers for?"

Mirroring my expression, Aimee said, "Let's get out of here and go to the park or something. You know, somewhere that still looks familiar." Rising from her seat, she slipped the picture of her and Tommy back into her jacket pocket. As she did so, a golden coin fell from her pocket and onto the floor with a metallic clang.

Leaning down, I picked it up, with every intention of handing it right back to Aimee. But instead my heart froze. There was no reason why Aimee would have this coin in her possession. It was a gold coin, about an inch and a half in diameter, emblazoned with a three-toed footprint.

It was Tommy's Dragonzord power coin, the same coin that granted his original powers as the Green Ranger... the same coin originally created by evil. Why Aimee had it now was beyond me; it wasn't something Tommy could have forgotten.

"Aimee," I asked, standing up, "where did you get this?"

"Oh, that coin? It was with some of Tommy's stuff he left in Dad's house." She shrugged, oblivious to the coin's importance. "I don't know why I carry it on me. Luck, I guess. I just feel like a part of Tom's with me when I have it."

A part of Tommy _was_ with her—his Ranger past, his life she knew nothing about. My fist clenched around the coin. I had a difficult decision to make. I could move on as if nothing was wrong, keeping the identities of the former Rangers a secret as I had for years.

Or I could do what I felt like doing, and what Tommy couldn't bring himself to do eight years ago. I could tell Aimee everything, bring her to the ruins of the Command Center and show her exactly what had driven all of us. After all this time, and especially since she had the Dragonzord coin in her possession, I felt she had earned the right to know.

One look at Aimee's eyes, the tears she refused to cry, the defiant look they held, and my decision was made. "AJ, what are you doing this afternoon?"


	3. Part 3: Aimee

_Disclaimer: Power Rangers is Saban's world, not mine. Title comes from the song "Here With Me" is by Dido and I don't own that either. So please don't sue the broke college student, there's nothing here of worth! _

I apologize for the long time between postings, and that's one of the reasons why I have reposted the previous sections. That, and I've taken down the song lyrics originally posted in the beginning of each section.

_Reviews and constructive criticism, as always, are greatly appreciated. _

Here With Me Part Three

2003-2006 by Amie Martin

-- Aimee --

There's something to be said for the feeling an open road can give you. Sitting on the back of Jason's motorcycle, the wind whipping through my hair, I felt like I was flying. It was something I hadn't felt since the last time I danced, when the feel of the audience's eyes watching my every move produced an adrenaline high unlike any other.

I missed it terribly, all of it—the movement, the music, the endless hours of practice. Dancing had set me apart from Tommy, as martial arts had set him apart from me. I longed for that sense of individuality, that sheer hint of grace. On this motorcycle, I felt the same way again.

After leaving my car at Jason's apartment, we set off into the great unknown. Jason was being awfully secretive about our destination, and I was starting to get curious. I'd never remembered him to be the type to keep secrets, but then again, the last time I had seen him was at least three years ago. I didn't want to think about the possibility that he might have changed.

I couldn't believe my stroke of luck, or my powers of coincidence. Just as I was about to lose all hope, Jason had to go walk back into my life. My brother's high school best friend, who still frequented their old high school hangout... my luck couldn't get much better than that. Right now, Jason was my best lead in my search for Tommy, and by no means did I intend to let him get away.

And, beyond that, I wanted—no, I _needed_ a friend. I had spent almost two years completely alone, and Jason had been in the right place at the right time, just when I needed him.

Still, Jason's silence now was starting to bother me; he was so willing to open up before. Leaning close to his ear, I asked, "So, Jase, where exactly are we going again?" I had to practically shout to make myself heard over the wind.

"You'll see soon enough." Jason, too, was shouting, his words muffled by the motorcycle helmet he wore. "Just relax and enjoy the scenery."

If I could have slumped down in my seat, on the back of the motorcycle, I would have. I was not the kind of person who was content just watching the scenery go by; I had a short attention span and became bored very easily. Besides, I had no idea where we were. Jason had brought me into the middle of the desert, and all I could see was sand for miles and miles.

For Jason's sake, I refrained from asking the perpetual childhood question, "Are we there yet?" He was the one controlling the motorcycle, after all, and distracting him would definitely not be a good thing. So I forced myself to sit quietly, trying not to think about our mystery destination.

Of course, in trying to avoid one subject, I naturally thought of another. The memories would always plague me, wherever I went, but the one that came to mind now wasn't painful, just a little bittersweet. It was one of my more recent memories of Tommy, and of Jason as well.

I was a few months shy of 17, a newly licensed driver in the state of California. Tommy was spending the weekend over our house, but his truck had broke down the day before and had to go in the shop. I remembered how Tommy came to me, with sad puppy-dog eyes, and I remembered my inability to say no...

_-- Flashback—Three years before --_

"AJ! AJ, where are you?" Tommy's voice echoed throughout the house, alongside the sound of his pounding footsteps.

"In the living room!" I shouted from where I lounged on the couch, turning the page in the book I was reading.

I looked up as he entered the room and plopped down on the couch beside me. Tommy's hair was pulled back in a slick ponytail; his eyes were liquid brown pools already pleading with me on his behalf. He wanted something and I knew it; depending on what it was, I might be willing to go along with it.

"So, AJ... what are you doing now?" Tommy rested his arm on the back of the couch, so he could wrap his arm around my shoulders if he wanted to.

"Homework." Making a face, I held up my book to show him. "I've got to finish this whole thing by Monday and I'm not even halfway through yet."

Tommy took the book from me and flipped through the pages, nodding as he did so. "I remember reading this book in high school," he said, handing the book back to me. "Of course, I don't remember much about what it's about, but I remember having to read it."

Laughing, I commented, "Some big brother you are. You can't even help me out the slightest bit."

"Hey, I never said I'd help you cheat on your homework. You're the one who put it off until the last minute."

"You weren't any better when you were in high school, dear brother." I smiled slyly. "Besides, helping me out _would_ give you something to barter with."

His jaw dropped in an expression of surprise. "Me?" he sputtered. "Why would I need something to barter with, of all things?"

"Because you can't look me in the eye and tell me you don't want something from me." Closing my book, I crossed my arms across my chest and stared at Tommy. If anything could make my brother crack, staring would do it.

I held his gaze for nearly a minute, all of my attention focused on the brown pools of his eyes. Finally, Tommy looked away and grumbled, "I still don't know how you do that."

"Easy. It's all a matter of identifying that puppy-dog look in your eyes and knowing exactly what it means." I allowed a briefest hint of a smile to grace my lips, because I knew I had Tommy right where I wanted him. "So, out with it. What do you want from me?"

"You can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, do you know that?" he commented, glancing sideways at me.

"It's a skill I'd like to say I've made into an art form. Come on, you still haven't told me. You know you want to."

Sighing, Tommy turned on the couch to face me. "You know that my truck broke down, right?" he began, smoothing a hand over his ponytail.

"Yes..."

"And I told Jase last week I'd spar with him today..."

"If you want to borrow my car, Tom, all you have to do is ask."

He held up a hand to silence me. "No, not just that. I want you to come with me. You know, test out that new driver's license of yours."

Looking at my brother quizzically, I asked, "And why is my presence so important at this spar? If I wanted to practice I could log in some extra hours in the dance studio."

"Because Jase wants to see you. Because I want to see if my impromptu driving lessons paid off. Because I want to spend some time with you." Tommy was grinning now, his eyes sparkling. "You don't think you're the only one who knows how to get what they want, do you?"

As hard as I tried, I couldn't force my brain to come up with a quick, witty response. Tommy was only one of a select few people who knew just how to back me into a corner and shut me up. I would have to admit defeat, and by no means would I ever want to do that, even to my own brother.

Just as hope was about to run out on me, fate intervened as Tommy's cell phone rang. "Give me a minute," he said to me, rising from the couch as he answered it.

I, for one, appreciated the reprieve. Not only was I saved from admitting defeat, but I was also given an opportunity to finish the chapter I was on. Tommy had all but convinced me to go, but I knew, at some point, I had to get a good chunk of my work done... even if I had to force myself to do it. Sighing, I opened my book and attempted to read.

My attempt to work, as brief and as small as it was, was interrupted by Tommy dropping his cell phone in my lap. "It's for you," he said, gesturing for me to answer it.

"Well, who is it?" Picking up the phone, I noted that the screen said, "Jason Cell." I looked up at Tommy curiously, confused.

"Go on," he urged. "Answer it. He's waiting."

Relenting, I put the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, AJ! What's up?" Jason's voice sounded bright and cheery on the other end of the line.

"Nothing much, just trying to get some work done when I was so rudely interrupted." Glancing up, I glared at Tommy, who only shrugged. "What about you, Jase?"

"Oh, the usual. I'm sitting here at the Youth Center, waiting once again for your lazy brother..."

Giggling, I answered, "And we both know how lazy he can be. And forgetful, you can't deny that he's forgetful." The hurt expression on Tommy's face only made me laugh even harder.

"True, but it's part my fault too, because I forgot all about the little mishap with Tommy's truck." From the sound of his voice, I could imagine Jason shrugging. "I just told him—in a polite way, of course—that he better get his butt over here, or I'll consider this round to be forfeited."

"Tom will never let you get away with that."

"Exactly. That's why I want you to bring him down to the Youth Center to save his pride from being crushed forever."

At the mention of the Youth Center, my mind froze. I had too many memories there, good and bad, and I didn't particularly feel like facing my inner demons right then and there. My emotions, both my strength and my weakness, would wait for another day... "The Youth Center? Jase, I don't know..."

"You just have to drop him off out front." Jason's voice dropped a pitch. "Tommy doesn't know everything that happened to you there, but I do. I would never ask you to do something you didn't want to do. Besides, you know you want to come visit me."

Drawing a deep breath, I slowly let it go. "For you, Jase, I would do anything," I agreed, "but I'm not staying long, because I have a lot of work for school." It was an easy thing to say, far easier than admitting that I didn't want to go back to a place of bad memories, back to the place where my first boyfriend broke up with me.

Jason laughed lightly, which brightened my mood considerably. I needed that. "You're getting more and more like your brother every day, do you know that?"

"In some ways yes, in some ways no. Depends on when you talk to us." I looked up at Tommy and smiled, and he smiled back. "Tom and I will be there in about half an hour."

"Thanks, AJ. See you in a few."

"Later, Jase."

Hearing a click, the line went dead. Handing the phone back to my brother, I said, "You do realize that now, you owe me big time."

Shrugging, Tommy replied, "Maybe Jase knows something about your book..."

I threw a pillow at him, and it struck him square in the shoulder. "You can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, Tom."

"Only as much as you are."

_-- End Flashback --_

The motorcycle came to a stop, and only then did I break free of my reverie. Killing the engine, Jason swung off the bike with ease and took off his helmet, then gazing around as if familiarizing himself with the landscaping.

Doing the same, all I saw was sand, sand, and more sand. I could find nothing that made this place stand out from everything else we had already passed. "Jase," I began, climbing off the back of the motorcycle, "are we here?"

"The road ends here," he said, turning to face me. "We hike up there--" Jason pointed to a steep hill to his left "—and then we'll be there." He smiled at me. "It's not as far as it looks."

"It's not the walk I'm worried about." I gestured to the desert around us. "What's going on here, Jase? What's so important that you have to drag me into the middle of nowhere in order to tell me?"

His brow furrowed, as if he was deep in thought. A moment passed before he answered. "It's not what I have to tell you, exactly," he said slowly, "but rather what I have to show you. You won't believe me if you don't see it."

"I trust you, Jase. I know that you would never lie to me." I moved closer to him, laying my hand on his shoulder. "Whatever you tell me, I'll believe you."

"Let's hope you feel that way once I've told you." He laughed, low and cynically, so unlike the Jason I remembered. "Come on, AJ. Let's go."

Meekly, I followed Jason as we began to climb the steep incline. Almost immediately, I found myself cursing the clothes I wore; the leather was unbearable in the desert sun and the boots weren't made for hiking. I could have complained to Jason, but my curiosity had gotten the best of me, and I had no choice but to continue on. From his silence, I figured he'd rather be left in peace.

While we walked, I though back to our conversation at the Surf Spot and Jason's reaction to Tommy's golden coin. I had no idea what the footprint on it symbolized, or even why my brother had it in the first place. It had been by a stroke of luck that I found the coin at all, at the bottom of a box in the back corner of Dad's attic. From what I was able to tell, all of the items in the box were from Tommy's days at Angel Grove High—a worn football jersey, ticket stubs from concerts and plays, that sort of thing. I had been looking for old childhood photographs at the time, but quickly found Tommy's abandoned items to be far more interesting. Short attention span, indeed.

While I couldn't unravel the mystery behind the coin, I did know that it must have some importance, or Tommy would have never kept it. It was one of the many things I planned to ask him once I found him, out of sheer curiosity more than anything else. Until then, I liked to think that the coin brought me good luck, that by carrying it on me I was one step closer to finding my brother.

Jason's reaction to the coin, however, threw me off guard. I had thought of the coin as a mere trinket, something with emotional value to one person but very little to someone else. But the way Jason's eyes grew wide at the same moment he saw the coin told me it meant something more. Right after, he suggested this crazy trip out into the desert. I would have to be pretty stupid not to think there might be a connection between the two. But until Jason told be what this was all about, I wasn't about to assume anything.

"Aimee, we're here."

Looking up, I was Jason standing on a rise a few feet ahead of me, staring at something below him. The look on his face was one of reverence, respect, and remembered pain. Cautiously, I moved to stand beside him, afraid of what I might see.

Below us were the scattered remains of a building, its once-tall stone walls smashed into large chunks and slabs, forming piles upon piles of rock. The stones were decorated with thick dark blast marks, blemishing their smooth surface. Electronic equipment was strewn amongst the debris, frayed wiring here, a display there. This place had been huge, and it would have had to take a massive explosion to bring it to this sorry state of ruin.

The part of me that was still four years old wanted to play hide and seek among the crevices, wanted to explore it all as if this place was some big secret only Jason and I knew. It almost made me believe that a small glimmer of my childhood still existed, kept in check only by my forced maturity.

Slowly, without realizing what I was doing, I made my way down the embankment and into the ruins. I couldn't resist that urge to explore; I had to see the damage firsthand, to ensure that it was tangible and real. After a few minutes, I heard Jason's feet moving to join me.

"What happened here, Jase?" I asked quietly, picking up a discarded piece of equipment. Sand had eroded away most of the vital pieces; it would never work again. "What was this place?"

"The Command Center," he said, gritting his teeth together.

"Command Center? What, was this some sort of military base or something?" Only the military could have used this much equipment; I couldn't think of a plausible reason why it would all be here, in the outskirts of Angel Grove.

Chuckling sadly, Jason answered, "We weren't a branch of the military, AJ. We were... something else entirely."

Startled, I rose from my crouching position and turned to face him. "What do you mean, 'we?' Jase, you were here, you know what this was—you have to tell me!"

Jason put his hands on my shoulders and tilted my head up so my eyes met his. "If I tell you this, you have to swear that you'll never tell anyone about this place or what I'm going to tell you."

"Jase--"

His hands squeezed my shoulders. "Just promise me, Aimee-Jean."

"I promise," I whispered.

His eyes bored into mine, the dark brown of his irises filling my scope of vision. "We were the Power Rangers, Aimee. Chosen by Zordon as protectors of the planet."

My voice eluded me, my thoughts tangled up in spider webs upon hearing his words. "What?"

"It's true, every word of it," Jason continued. "Kim was the Pink Ranger, and Trini was the Yellow... Zack was black, and Billy was blue... and I was the Red Ranger, the leader of them all." He finally broke my gaze and stared off into the distance. "It seems like it was so long ago."

"Jase, that's insane." My voice was barely a whisper.

He laughed. "Of course. That's what the five of us said too, in the beginning. But as soon as the attacks started coming, we all realized what we had to do."

The five of us... "Wait, weren't there six Rangers?" I asked, my voice growing stronger. "I remember something about a Green Ranger, and a White one too..."

"It started out with five. The sixth guy joined later." Jason looked at me again, he gaze more intense than before. "The Green Ranger later became the White Ranger, as his original powers had been too unstable and unreliable in battle. Aimee... he's your brother. Tommy was the Green Ranger."

"No." I jerked away from Jason's touch; I couldn't stand to look at him. "It can't be true. He would have told me if it was true."

"He wanted to, Aimee, very much." He spoke quietly, almost pleading with me to understand. "But he couldn't—none of us could. We were bound by a code of secrecy."

I shook my head. "I know all of Tom's secrets. At least, I used to."

"This was the one secret he kept from you, and only because he had to. Think about it, AJ. How many times did he break off plans with you, telling you that something had unexpectedly come up? I'm willing to bet you that almost every time was due to a monster attack."

To be honest, I had never looked at the situation like that before, and I had to admit that Jason had a point. Tommy never cancelled on me until he moved to Angel Grove... "Okay, so it could be true, but I'm still not convinced."

"Okay, then. Do you still have the golden coin?"

Nodding, I pulled the coin from my jacket pocket. "I still don't see what this trinket has to do with anything."

Smiling, Jason opened his hand, producing a second coin the same size as mine. I took it from him to examine the two side by side. Whereas my coin—Tommy's coin—had a footprint, Jason's coin was imprinted with the head of a roaring dinosaur, what I thought was a tyrannosaurus. While it was clear that the two coins were quite similar, I couldn't figure out the connection between the two.

"They're the power coins that gave us the ability to morph," Jason supplied, answering my unspoken question. "My power was the tyrannosaurus, the Red Ranger. Tommy had the Dragonzord, for the Green Ranger."

"Dragonzord... I like the name. It sounds powerful, but at the same time, it's... unique." I handed the coin back to Jason, noticing how he was grinning from ear to ear. "What? What's so funny?"

It was the first genuine laugh I heard from him since our arrival at the ruins. "Tommy said you would like it; he said it fit your personality more. He was happier as the White Ranger, I think—the Tigerzord."

"I think so, too. When he first moved to Angel Grove, right after the divorce, it was a rough time for both of us." I started wandering around the ruins, indulging in my urge to explore just the tiniest bit. "So, this place was like your base of operations?"

He fell in step beside me, and I found his presence warming instead of intimidating. My newfound knowledge of his life as a Power Ranger hadn't changed my view of him at all, and for that I was grateful. "It was, for a long time," Jason explained, "well past the time I retired from being a Ranger. The Turbo Rangers had to face the space pirate Divatox and--"

Before Jason could even finish his sentence, a loud explosion went off behind me, the sound assaulting my eardrums. Acting on instinct, I ducked, my hands flying to my ears to block out the noise. Jason wrapped his arms around me and pulled me beneath a large slab of rock, which I thought was once part of the Command Center's outer wall. We crouched there for a second, his body shielding mine from the outside world.

"That's not some sort of residual blast, is it?" I asked, already guessing at the answer.

"No. We're under an attack of some kind." Jason shook his head. "Stay here while I go and investigate."

I grabbed his arm, holding him where he was. "I don't think so, Jase. Where you go, I go. There's no reason for you to treat me like a little kid."

"Big brother complex, remember? Besides, I've been doing martial arts my entire life, and your training as a dancer won't do you much good out here. And I don't want to find Tommy and be the one who tells him that I let you get hurt."

"Whatever. I'm still coming with you." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flicker of movement up on the ridge where Jason and I had first stood. Pointing, I asked, "Jase, do you see that?"

Five creatures appeared at the top of the ridge, the likes of which I'd never seen before. For all I knew they could be human; they had what seemed to be normal arms and legs. But their faces were covered with what seemed to be a deformed human skull, painted a shade of silvery black. Whether the skull was real or just a mask, I couldn't tell. Two of the five held long, thin poles with blades attached to his end, and I didn't doubt that they were very skilled with the weapons.

"We're in deep shit, AJ," Jason cursed under his breath. "Are you sure you still want to do this?"

I thought about it for a moment. Jason was right when he said that I was technically a dancer, and I knew there was a good chance I was going to get my ass kicked. I didn't even want to think about what would happen if I got hit with one of those poles. But even though Tommy was the karate master and former Power Ranger, he wasn't the only Oliver who knew how to fight.

"Yeah," I told Jason, forcing confidence into my voice. "Let's do this."


	4. Part 4: Jason

_Disclaimer: Power Rangers is Saban's world, not mine. Title comes from the song "Here With Me" is by Dido and I don't own that either. So please don't sue the broke college student, there's nothing here of worth! _

I apologize for the long time between postings, and that's one of the reasons why I have reposted the previous sections. That, and I've taken down the song lyrics originally posted in the beginning of each section.

_Reviews and constructive criticism, as always, are greatly appreciated. _

Here With Me Part Four

2003-2006 by Amie Martin

-- Jason --

There were a lot worse odds than two on five.

Unfortunately, right now it didn't feel like it.

I was far from thrilled about the idea of Aimee in the midst of a heated battle, letting her stubbornness get the best of her. She was young, naïve, inexperienced, and had absolutely no idea what she had gotten herself into. This fight was way over her head, and I knew I would spend more time worrying about whether or not she was all right than about the battle itself.

Damn big brother complex. Or was it something more...

Shaking my head, I tried to push my doubts aside and was only somewhat successful. My plan, if I could even call it that, was basically me trying to draw the two warriors with bladed lances away from Aimee, not only because I stood a better chance against them, but I also because I knew I couldn't handle seeing them hurt Aimee. Even though I knew she'd resent me for it, I had to protect her somehow.

"AJ," I whispered in her ear, praying that the warriors didn't have ultra- sensitive hearing, "I'll take the two with lances, you go for the unarmed three."

"I'm tempted to think you're taking the two easy ones for yourself." In spite of the situation, I realized with a start that Aimee was teasing me. It must have been her way of easing the tension.

"I think the odds are against us as it is," I reminded her, trying to be serious.

She made a tsking sound under her breath. "Don't get all pessimistic on me, Jase, that's my job." Aimee paused. "Good luck."

"You too." My voice caught in my throat, but I couldn't explain why. "Don't do anything stupid out there."

The grin that lit up her face was confident and cocky, typical Aimee. "I don't know if I can promise you that," she said, "but for you, Jase, I can give it a try." Winking, she turned away from me and made her way towards the waiting warriors. I watched her go, part of me admiring her courage and determination, another part of me cursing her stubbornness.

Pressing my lips together in a firm line, I turned my attention to the warriors. It was now or never, and I wasn't going down without a fight. Throwing my shoulders back, I strode confidently out of the ruins, refusing to be daunted. I was, after all, a former Ranger.

"Hey!" I shouted, my voice carrying much farther than I had expected. "Hey, you with the poles!"

Two of the warriors, the two holding the silvery blades, hissed as their heads snapped in my direction. Now that I was standing closer to them, I could see sinister mouths grinning behind the silvery black skull-like masks. I swallowed hard, but refused to let my fear show in my face.

"Yeah, I'm talking to you!" I beckoned them towards me with a flick of my hand. "I got something for you, so come over here and get it!"

Willingly, the two warriors practically galloped to meet me. Almost too willingly, I realized. Aimee and I had truly gotten ourselves in over our heads, and I found myself cursing her for insisting that we should fight them.

My mind entered battle mode as the first of the warriors met me. Even this close to them, I still couldn't tell if they were male, female, or if there was even a distinction between the two. The first warrior lashed out at me, holding the lance away as the other fist barrelled towards my face. I caught the punch with my left hand and countered with the other, a low jab to the stomach.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as the warrior began to rotate the lance rapidly, arching sharply towards my head. Reacting quickly, I snapped a side kick, pushing the blade away from me and letting the sole of my shoe take the brunt force of the blade. The warrior seemed unfazed by the act, using the moment's opportunity to land a quick kick to my knee. Losing my balance, I stumbled backward, struggling to stay on my feet.

It was then that I felt the presence of the second warrior as I walked into the armored chest. The blade was pressed into my back, and the first warrior stepped forward, holding the blade against my throat. To the untrained eye, it would seem as if I was trapped, with no conceivable way out. But having trained for years in the martial arts, I knew I was never without a weapon, and my years as a Ranger had taught me never to give up.

I grasped the handle of the lance in front of me and pushed the warrior away from me. While the warrior was disoriented, I launched a spinning kick to its hands, sending the lance flying. As soon as I landed, I dropped to the ground in anticipation of the second warrior's retaliation. Its lance arched harmlessly above me, and I rolled out of reach, trying to buy myself some time to think.

Suddenly, my odds were starting to improve greatly. Now I only had one blade to worry about, and a normal warrior I could easily handle. But Aimee... I had a sinking feeling that her odds were not as good as mine.

Tearing my eyes away from the warriors, I scanned the ridge looking for Aimee. It was a dangerous move, leaving myself open to attack for those brief few seconds, but I had to make sure she was all right. I would never forgive myself if something had happened to her...

What I saw nearly caused my heart to stop beating. Two of the warriors held Aimee by her arms while the third was coming towards her. The look on her face was grim and determined, by no means did she let her fear show. In a flash I imagined Tommy in the same situation, as if his fierce focus was shining through her. Aimee was tough--there was no doubt about that. But I didn't know if she knew how to handle the fight, if she could handle it at all...

It surprised me how quick and fluid her movements could be. I had forgotten about the years she spent dancing and how its grace had spread into all facets of her life. Even when Aimee fought, she looked like she was dancing.

Her legs swung upward at the warrior coming towards her, catching the warrior in the shoulder. The warrior, losing its balance, stumbled into the warrior to Aimee's right, freeing one of her arms as the two fell together to the ground. As Aimee landed, she quickly spun around and lashed out at the last remaining warrior, grasping firmly to her left arm. Catching the warrior behind the knee, she yanked her arm free in the midst of the distraction.

Aimee was free--for the moment. But I knew it wouldn't last for long.

"Aimee!" I shouted, trying to get her attention. I wanted to keep her close to me, as if by doing so I could prevent any harm from coming to her.

Her head snapped up at the sound of my voice, and she scanned the area looking for me. As her eyes met mine, Aimee shouted back, "Jase!" The way she said my nickname, so quick and so sharp... I thought she was relieved to see that I was all right. It was her way of reassuring me, with that one simple word.

Something to my left snarled and streaked across my eyes, headed in Aimee's direction. It was a moment before I fully realized what had happened--the one remaining warrior with the lance was going after Aimee, having noticed the exchange between us. The warrior knew which one of us was stronger and which one of us would be the easier fight...

"Oh, no, you don't," I hissed under my breath, scrambling back to my feet. I moved to chase the warrior down, to keep it from getting near Aimee, but something grabbed the back of my jacket and threw me down onto the ground.

The other warrior stared down at me, something of sneer hidden behind that skull mask, as if the warrior was taunting me. Anger flooded my veins, something I didn't allow to happen very often. Gritting my teeth together, I thought to myself, No more Mr. Nice Guy.

Kicking upwards, I caught the warrior in the chest, pushing it away from me. I used the moment's distraction to jump back onto my feet, only to be confronted a millisecond later by a flurry of punches. This presented no real threat; the warrior was disoriented, its movements sporadic. All I needed was the right opening...

My foot lashed upward, seeing the perfect opportunity to catch the warrior in the head. I caught it just beneath the chin, and I could have sworn I heard something snap as the warrior stumbled backwards. As the warrior fell to the ground, its body transformed into little black specks, each of which dissipated into the air.

Suddenly it dawned on me: a strong enough blow to the head would kill the warriors. I watched the specks for a few seconds before turning around and running towards Aimee.

"The head, AJ!" I shouted to her. "The head is the weak spot!"

She nodded once, and it was then that I noticed that Aimee had retrieved the fallen lance and was using it to fend off the warriors. The blade swung from side to side in her hands, and I watched as she took out the warrior behind her in one swift movement. The girl was lethal, I had to give her that much.

Rushing to Aimee's side, I said, "Let me take care of the guy with the blade."

"I got it." Aimee's voice was tense as she blocked another blow from the bladed warrior. "Just get the other ones off my back."

I grimaced, blocking a punch and countering with my own. "Aimee--"

"Don't argue with me, just do it!" She spun away from me then, out of my line of vision. Cursing her under my breath, I gritted my teeth together and continued fighting.

A quick kick here, a punch there. My body was like a fighting machine, attacking anything and everything that came near me. The other two warriors proved to be weaker than I had expected, and my earlier decision to leave these warriors with Aimee proved to be a good one. As the last of the two warriors turned to dust, I looked in time to see Aimee's blade slice neatly into the final warrior's neck, sending black particles into the air.

Satisfied, Aimee turned to face me, her green eyes shining in the sunlight. "So, what was that about me not knowing how to fight?" she asked, a little too smugly.

"Don't pick a fight with me, AJ, I'm not in the mood." I looked her up and down, noticing the slash on her forearm, the small river of blood trickling down the black leather of her jacket. Covering the wound with my hand to stem the blood flow, I stepped closer to her and said gently, "You should have told me that you were hurt."

Pain flashed through her eyes, but it lasted only a brief second. "It's nothing," Aimee answered, covering my hand with her own. "Bastards managed to ruin one of my favorite jackets."

I managed a small smile, knowing that her comment was her way of shifting the focus from herself, trying to get me not to worry about her. It didn't really work, of course, but I found the effort touching. "But at least you made them pay."

"Oh, yeah." She shook her head, but she didn't move her hand. "These things"--she motioned to the blade in her other hand--"are just like these baton thingies we did a routine with when I was--14, maybe? Most of the moves came in pretty handy."

"Still, we should have that looked at, or bandaged, or something..." My voice trailed off, and I rested my other hand on Aimee's shoulder. "Maybe we should head back to my house."

"I was about to ask what we should do next." Dropping the blade, Aimee rested her head on my chest; I had forgotten how little she actually was. "I don't know what the hell those guys were, but I'm not sure I want to be here when they get back," she said as she pulled away.

Shrugging, I said, "You're the one who wanted to get involved. But we'll head back to my house for now, take care of that arm, and we'll decide what to do from there."

"Sounds good to me."

Together, we turned away from the ruins of the Command Center, away from what remained of my childhood. Taking Aimee's hand, I led her up the last few steps of the ridge overlooking the entire area, heading back towards my motorcycle. The idea of those warriors here, at the old Command Center, did not sit well with me--the Ranger within itched to find out why. But I knew I couldn't let Aimee continue this pursuit; I wasn't a Ranger anymore, and all I could do, really, was protect the people I cared for.

At the top of the ridge, I froze in place, my eyes growing wide with shock. Beside me, I heard Aimee whisper, "Holy shit," her hand tightening in mine.

Below us was an entire legion of warriors, almost like foot soldiers preparing to invade. All of the warriors carried lances like the predecessors, held upright in stiff formation. Behind the soldiers was a chair carried by four warriors, its occupant hidden by a myriad of rich blood red curtains swaying in the slight breeze.

I took a step back form the ridge, as if doing so might buy me some time to think.

"I take it we're not getting back to the bike that way," Aimee muttered, low and under her breath. "Anyway we can go around them?"

"What you don't want to fight them? AJ, you surprise me," I shot back, more sarcastic than I had originally intended. Shaking my head, I added, more softly, "There's no way that they won't catch us if we try to sneak past them--the area's too open for that."

Aimee grimaced, biting her bottom lip. "You're the former Ranger here," she finally said. "Your thoughts on this are probably more... logical than mine."

"Logical, right." Shaking my head, I sighed. "I think we're screwed, AJ. We can't fight all of them, they blocked our exit, and we can't hide from them forever."

"I asked for your ideas, not your cynicism."

"Like you would have said any different."

In spite of the situation, Aimee managed a small laugh. "Lighten up a bit, Jase. The world hasn't come to an end." She glanced down at the warriors below us and shrugged. "At least, not yet."

I stared at her incredulously, my eyes growing large and my jaw practically dropping to the ground. "Aimee-Jean Marie Oliver, now is _not_ the time--"

An explosion rocked the ground beneath our feet, cutting off my sentence and causing Aimee to stumble a step backward. Grabbing her hand, I dragged her away from the ridge and back into the ruins of the Command Center. We could seek shelter in the remnants of the thick outer walls, and hopefully buy ourselves a little more time.

Crouching behind a huge slab of molded granite, I closed my eyes and rested my head against the rock, trying to ignore the soldiers prepared to destroy us. Vainly, I wished I had powers still--the Red Ranger, the Gold Ranger, anything to get us out of this situation. I wasn't the leader anymore, and it tore me up inside, knowing I didn't have the answers I needed.

"Jason." Aimee's voice was gentle, her use of my full name catching my attention. I could feel her next to me, her hand on my shoulder, her presence almost merging with my own. "Jase... I just want you to know... I'm not afraid."

Opening my eyes, all I could do was stare at her. I had always known Aimee as the rebel, the fighter, the one who always went with her emotions. She hadn't changed that much, in the three years since I'd last seen her. But in her eyes I saw a little bit of Tommy as well, Tommy when he was stripped of his Green Ranger powers. A Tommy who knew when anger and determination was not going to save him.

She met my eyes, a hint of a smile gracing her lips. Aimee was calm, and she was waiting--waiting for me to decide our next move. It was her silent admission that I was the leader, and for the moment, she was prepared to follow. While I couldn't predict exactly how long Aimee would listen to me-- she was notorious for changing her mind at a moment's notice--I did know that she didn't follow just anyone. A warmth spread through my chest at the thought.

I moved to say something, but the words wouldn't come. All I could do was hold her gaze, my mouth going dry, and I had a vague sense that time was standing still. The threat presented by the soldiers was but a distant thought in my mind...

Over Aimee's shoulder, I watched as five flashing columns of light touched the ground, one read, blue, black, pink, and yellow. Startled, I jumped to my feet, almost knocking Aimee over in the process.

"What is it, Jase?" Aimee asked as she stood, brushing stray dust off her leather pants.

"Come on," I said, grabbing her hand and dashing towards the light, where five humans had just emerged. "We've got to get over there."

"Who are they?" Aimee ran alongside me, her fingers lacing with mine.

"Rangers." I wasn't completely sure in my belief, but the five people were also running towards us, and I would rather take my chances with them than with the advancing soldiers.

We met in the center of the Command Center ruins, and for a moment we just looked at each other. There were two girls in the group, a young Asian woman dressed in pink, standing next to a smiling girl in yellow, whose light brown hair was blowing in the breeze. A tall black man in blue was next to a man in black with dark curly hair. In front of all of them was a man in red, his dirty blond hair streaked with platinum, his eyes narrowing as we approached them. It was clear that the man in red was their leader, their spokesman.

For a moment the man in red and I stared at each other. I wasn't sure exactly what to make of them, but I had been a Red Ranger once too, and I knew he must share the same doubts I did. "Jason Scott," I introduced, and on a whim I added, "Former Red Ranger."

The man nodded once in acknowledgement. "Andros," he said. "We... didn't expect to find you here."

"We didn't expect to be here." I gestured to the dunes behind us, at the army of soldiers poised to attack. "You guys are Rangers, right? Do you know what's going on here?"

"It's a long story, and we should move to a safer location." Andros gazed out over the ruins of the Command Center. "We need your help, and we can't stay here."

I stepped forward to join them, but Aimee pulled on my hand, holding me back. "Jase, are you sure about this?" she whispered. "I mean, normally I'm up for anything, but trusting people I don't know..."

"You don't trust anybody, AJ. What else is new?" I shook my head, looking back at Aimee. "They're Rangers. And unless you'd rather take your chances with those warriors back there, we're going with them. Besides, I thought you said you weren't afraid."

"I never said I was afraid," she said sullenly, pulling her hand away from mine and crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Good. Then we're going with them." I turned back to Andros. "Lead the way."

Andros nodded, and together the seven of us were wisked away from the ruins of the Command Center. As the familiar tingle of the transportation energy beams filled my body, I couldn't help the foreboding feeling that a big change was headed for Aimee and I, one I knew we couldn't possibly be ready for.


	5. Part 5: Aimee

_Disclaimer: Power Rangers is Saban's world, not mine. And, alas, the song "Here With Me" is by Dido and I don't own that either. No money's being made off of this, so don't sue thinking that I have any. _

_This is a revised section of the original part 5. If anyone's looking for the original version, let me know, because I do still have a copy of it. Hopefully this one turns out better - I've made a huge amount of changes, hence the massive author's note at the end._

_Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated!_

_Here With Me Part Five_

_2003-2006 by Amie Martin_

-- Aimee --

Concentration had never been one of my strong points. It required all of my attention, and most of the time my attention was occupied elsewhere. Today was no exception.

I was trying to pay attention to everything, take in every detail, remember every word said. Jason and I were in a strange place, with five people we didn't even know. I wanted to be on guard, ready for anything. From Jason's appearance at the Surf Spot to those warriors at the Command Center, this day was already too full of surprises for my tastes.

But all I could think about was Jason, binding the cut on my arm. I'd tried to tell him it wasn't serious and I'd live without help, but he'd insisted, and I didn't feel like arguing about it. His fingers kept brushing against my skin, little soft waves of warmth that can shatter a girl's concentration completely.

Maybe Jason was just trying to be gentle; maybe he thought I was in pain. Maybe it was the fact that it was Jason that made all the difference…

"I suppose you're wondering why we're here," the guy with the highlights began, sitting at the head of the conference table.

I looked up at the sound of his voice. He'd told Jason his name was Andros, and he seemed to be the leader of the other four. Each one of them wore a uniform of sorts, silvery jackets and pants with different colored accents - red, blue, black, pink, yellow. Jason thought they were Rangers, but I couldn't be so sure. If I couldn't tell my own brother had been a Ranger for years, there was no way in hell I could see it in a group of total strangers.

The important thing was that Jason believed - knew - they were Rangers, and it seemed like he trusted them. I trusted Jason's judgment, and I knew he wouldn't be here if he didn't think this was the right decision. For now, I didn't have much of choice but to follow him, and there could be worse fates.

"I think a good place to start would be with who or what it was that attacked us," Jason was saying, finishing up the bandage on my arm. He gave me a small smile before turning back towards the leader. "Whoever they are, they've got to know something about those ruins."

"I'm pretty sure they do, actually." Andros looked up, and his eyes met mine. "I'm sorry, I don't remember your name," he told me, leaning forward against the table.

Smiling a little in spite of the tension I felt, I said, "I don't think I told you my name. It's Aimee, and you're Andros, right?"

"Yeah." He nodded, "And this is Ashley, TJ, Carlos, and Cassie." Gesturing to each of his friends in turn, Andros added, "It's nice to meet you."

"Same here." I nodded, swallowing the lump my uneasiness had formed in my throat. "So… you guys are Rangers?"

Andros shot a questioning glance at Jason, who shrugged. "I told her the basics," Jason explained, "but we were… interrupted before I could tell her everything."

Seeming satisfied with Jason's response, Andros turned back to me, "To answer your question, we're Space Rangers. Basically, we're like Jason and his original group, but on an intergalactic level."

A soft "Oh" was all I could manage. Apparently the Power Rangers weren't just an Angel Grove phenomenon. Maybe Tommy played a much bigger role than I originally thought…

"Anyway," Andros continued, "the reason we're here is because of a man named Volkadir." The group of us turned towards the head of the conference table, while Andros pushed a button and called up an image on a large screen. The image showed a man with a scarred face and shaved head; one particularly gruesome scar ran from the top of his head and through his left eye, ending just below his lip. "This would be the guy in the chariot we saw at the Command Center."

"Well, isn't he attractive?" I muttered under my breath. No wonder why he had to hide behind all those red curtains - a plastic surgeon would have a field day with this guy.

Jason shook his head, giving me a warning look. When I simply shrugged, he stepped closer and whispered in my ear, "No comments from the peanut gallery."

I made a face and whispered back, "I can't be a peanut gallery until you get me some peanuts. I _am_ a little hungry." It was a stupid comment, but it was enough to break up some of the tension I felt.

He didn't say anything, but just turned back to the image of Volkadir with a soft, almost-chuckle. Even with his head turned, I could tell Jason was smiling, and I was pleased to note that he still lingered by my side. Knowing that he was paying attention to me eased my conscience somewhat. Jason would never intentionally let anything bad happen to me.

Meanwhile, Andros was saying, "Volkadir wasn't born into power, he saw his opportunity and seized it. We think he's been plotting this for several years now."

"I don't understand." The black guy dressed in blue - TJ, if memory served me right - said, leaning forward a little to examine the image. "What opportunity did he have, exactly?"

"And why act now?" Carlos, the dark-haired guy in black, added. "Why is now so important?"

"I can answer one of those questions." Andros clicked another button, changing the image to one of two figures, a woman in a renegade-clown-meets-drag-queen costume and a man who looked as if his entire body had been turned inside out. "Volkadir was a servant of Rita Repulsa, and also of her husband Lord Zedd. While on their base on the moon, he observed every failure the duo made while planning his own rise to power."

The veins in Jason's neck tightened, trying to burst through his skin. Pressing his lips together, he asked, "Are Rita and Zedd part of this too?"

"No," Andros answered. "They're so far beyond power now that any new attempts to rule the galaxy would quickly be shot down."

Something in Jason's shoulders seemed to relax, and I ventured a hand out to touch him, directing his attention towards me. "Jase?" I whispered, "Who's Rita and Zedd?"

He leaned towards me, speaking in a low voice, "They were the original enemies looking to take over Earth." Jason shifted, draping an arm around the back of my stool, and I could feel his fingertips brush against my waist. "Tommy and I and the others - I'll explain more later."

I nodded, letting my hand drift off his shoulder blades. "Thanks."

Jason smiled before looking over at Andros. "You were saying this Volkadir was studying his predecessors?"

Nodding in confirmation, Andros continued, "Yes, but he didn't stop with Rita and Zedd. Volkadir also managed to maneuver himself into the inner circle of both King Mondo and Divatox."

A collective gasp went up from Andros' companions, but I couldn't tell why. These names must mean something, I figured, in order to get a reaction like that. I kept my mouth shut, deciding that it might be better just to listen for the time being.

"So he's using the same skills as Divatox and the rest?" the girl by the computers, Cassie, asked, sitting up a bit straighter.

"He's borrowing from different sources," Andros explained. "It's one of the reasons we were all called back into action - we've got prior experience."

Carlos leaned forward, drumming his fingers on the table. "Do we have any idea what his current plan is?"

"Or better yet, what's our plan?" TJ asked.

Switching to an image of the Command Center ruins, Andros said, "Volkadir wants to establish a base of operations before he begins his assault."

"The Command Center…" The words hissed between Jason's teeth, and I could feel how protective he was of the place, of his former life. "Please tell me you're not going to let that happen."

"We won't." Ashley's voice, silent until now, was filled with an easy confidence. "Not if we can help it."

Jason crossed his arms in front of his chest. "He thinks controlling the Command Center is some sort of psychological triumph?"

"Maybe." Andros shrugged. "But he has intelligence claiming there's a secret source of power hidden in the ruins."

Carlos raised an eyebrow. "Is there?"

"No, and if there was, it was destroyed with the rest of the building. There's nothing left but the ruins."

Silence fell over the group as everyone considered the new information Andros had presented. Okay, so there was a new threat against the planet and these five Rangers were the ones assigned to keep this threat from coming to light. I understood that. This Volkadir guy also wanted to stake a claim on Jason's old Command Center, where he'd once been a Ranger along with my brother, Tommy. In theory, I understood that too. What I didn't understand was how I ended up in the middle of this and what role I was supposed to play, now that I was involved…

"So," I began, hopping off of my stool and breaking the silence that draped over the room, "what are we going to do to stop this guy?"

Andros blinked, as if surprised by my offer. I was slightly surprised myself - I only half-understood this Ranger business, but if Tommy and Jason thought this was a worthy cause, the least I could do was try to help. "Well," Andros said, "there is one other thing, one you two might be able to help us with."

Laying a hand on the center of my back, as if to signal his presence next to me, Jason asked, "What's that?"

"We've created new powers to fight Volkadir." Andros stood and began to pace; maybe he was nervous about something? "They're similar to the powers we had as Space Rangers, but with one major exception."

"And that is…" Carlos gestured with one hand for Andros to continue.

"The one plan Volkadir didn't have access to was that of the Green Ranger," Andros explained slowly. "The team would have six Rangers, with the Green Ranger controlling the Dragonzord."

A look of confusion crossed Jason's face. "But the Green Ranger powers are dead," he said. "They were completely drained - we had to create a new Ranger to compensate for it."

"These aren't the original powers," Andros clarified, "but rather a revamped design of them. These new powers are substantially stronger and can't be used by evil."

I leaned back towards Jason, trying to draw strength from them. They were discussing the Dragonzord powers - Tommy's powers. If there was any part of the conversation I had to be a part of, this would be it. "What's the catch?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer.

His eyes meeting mine, Andros said quietly, "The only one who can use the powers now is their original owner - the original Green Ranger. It's… a design flaw."

Whistling under his breath, Carlos commented, "So, while we've got five of us right here, we've still got to keep searching for the last guy."

"Tommy…" Jason's voice trailed off, and I could feel his fingers tighten against my back.

"Yeah, Tommy Oliver and his Dragonzord coin," Andros was saying. "We had tracked the coin to the ruins, and that's when we found you…"

It took a moment for all of the information to work its way into my brain. Andros and his friends were looking for Tommy - _my_ Tommy - and they hadn't found him either. Was he so far gone that even a group of Rangers didn't know where he was? I could feel my hope of ever finding my brother teetering on the edge of desperation, and I didn't know if I should be angry, upset, calm, or any of the above…

"AJ, are you okay?" Jason's hands slid up my back to rest on my shoulders, as if doing so could calm me.

"What's wrong?" Ashley seemed genuinely concerned, an odd emotion coming from a stranger.

Shaking my head slowly, I said through clenched teeth, "Tommy's… Tommy's not a Ranger anymore."

There was an almost apologetic look in Andros' eyes. "I know, but we need his help. He's the only one who can control the Dragonzord - that's why we're looking for him." Glancing up at Jason, Andros added, "Jason, you were his best friend - do you know where we could find him?"

"No." Jason's voice dropped a pitch. "Neither of us know where Tommy is."

"Not for lack of trying." The words came out with more bitterness than I had originally intended. "Wasting two years searching and nothing to show for it…"

"Wait a second," TJ interrupted. "Don't tell me you've been looking for him too."

Jason squeezed my shoulders. "Aimee is Tommy's younger sister," he told the others. "And he's been missing for almost three years."

The Space Rangers fell silent for a few moments, Cassie turning to the computer screen nearby. I rested one of my hands on top of Jason's, silently thanking him for saying what I could not. There were so many emotions I couldn't quite put into words - anger that they might find Tommy before I did, hope that they might help with my search, fear that we might never find him at all.

Finally, Andros looked up, his eyes meeting mine. "Then we can look for Tommy together," he said, and the other Space Rangers were nodding in agreement. "We need Tommy to help us stop Volkadir, and you need to find your brother. If we're all looking for him, we might as well join forces."

A stranger, offering to help? It seemed too good to be true. If Andros and his friends found Tommy, he'd be a Ranger again - a thought I found unsettling - but at the same time, I'd have my brother back. Nodding slowly, I agreed, "Well, it couldn't hurt."

Cassie mumbled something unintelligible from her computer console, pressing buttons and scrolling through screens. A curious TJ stood and went over to her, leaning over her shoulder to look.

"What do you have there, Cass?" TJ asked, his eyes glued to the screen.

"I think there may be another option." Cassie turned away from the console and back towards the group. "Guys, remember when we were tracking that signal down in the ruins?"

Carlos nodded, "Yeah, we were tracking the Dragonzord coin and a biorhythm signal we thought was Tommy's." He shrugged, "Aimee, that must have been you, then."

"And you and Tommy have the same parents?" Cassie asked me.

I almost laughed at how silly the question sounded, given the situation. "That's what the term 'sister' implies."

"Then I know why your signal's almost identical to your brother's."

A surprised look crossed Andros' face. "We're listening."

"Okay. Tommy and Aimee have the same parents - the same bloodlines," Cassie said. "Genetically, they're not all that different, and those similarities are what our scanners were picking up on."

"So that explains why we thought Aimee was Tommy," Ashley concluded.

Cassie nodded, "Yeah, but there's more." She called up another screen on the computer in front of her. "When Rita originally created the Green Ranger, she used the same genetic similarities to attune the coin to Tommy, hence why no one else could assume the Green Ranger powers."

"I don't understand." Jason shook his head as if to clear it. "I had control over the Dragonzord powers for a while, and I'm not related to Tommy."

_Jason _had the Dragonzord at one point? And the Green Ranger was created by Rita, and wasn't she evil? My brother was _not_ evil, and no one would ever be able to tell me otherwise…

"The Dragonzord was different - you didn't actually have the Green Ranger powers themselves," Cassie clarified, her voice breaking through my jumbled panic of thoughts. "Where's the Dragonzord coin?"

My body seemed to move in slow motion as I dug the coin out of the pocket of my ripped leather jacket. "I've got in right here." The coin felt like it fit perfectly in the palm of my hand, as if this was where it belonged.

"Well, with all the new modifications…" Cassie's voice trailed off. "Andros was partially right, in that Tommy _can_ access the powers…"

"What is it?" Ashley was both interested and concerned.

"It has to be Tommy or someone of his blood. They're the only ones who can merge with the Dragonzord powers," Cassie finished. "In other words, a sibling could do it - and Aimee is Tommy's sister."

Slowly, I could feel all of the eyes in the room focusing on me and the golden coin in my hand. I knew what Cassie was suggesting - she'd just told me I could become a Power Ranger, like my brother and his best friend before me. I could know firsthand what Tommy's life had been like - would he be proud of me, if I took this step, or would he think I was being too reckless for my own good? There was tremendous amount of weight and responsibility behind this decision, and I wasn't sure I was ready to make it. Tommy was the fighter in the family…

Behind me, Jason's hands tightened on my shoulders, and I could feel the worry and tension pouring off of him in waves. He'd been worried about me in the ruins, but then again, I'd been worried about him too. I was a big girl, and I knew what I might have to do…

"You guys can't possibly be serious," I said, awe creeping into my voice. "I mean, you're not serious… right?"

"Well, it could just be temporary," Cassie said quickly. "Just until we find Tommy."

"And that way we could fight Volkadir and look for him at the same time," Andros added. "We can easily transfer the powers when we find him."

Ashley stood and brushed past Andros - a little closer than absolutely necessary, a remote part of my brain noted - and stopped in front of me. "Could you help us?" she asked softly. "Could you be a Power Ranger?"

It was a full minute before I could bring myself to answer. I traced the edges of the Dragonzord coin with one fingertip, staring at its design as if doing so could tell me what path to take. Jason had been a Ranger. Tommy had been a Ranger - and this was my opportunity to walk in his shoes, follow in his footsteps. And as much as it scared me, I did want to help Andros and the others, the cause Tommy believed in.

When I finally spoke, I didn't know what I would say until I just came out and said it, a faint whisper echoing in the silence of the room:

"Yes."

-

_A/N: I hope this section is an improvement over the first version; it sounds like it is to me. I tried to make Andros sound less stiff and formal and Aimee a bit less bitchy. It's easier to see, from her point of view, why she'd be angry over someone else looking for her brother at the same time she is. I hope that point managed to come across, somehow. _

_Many thanks to all those who reviewed so far. The only way I know if you read this is by reviews, so please keep them coming and let me know how I'm doing so far! Thanks!_


	6. Part 6: Jason

_Disclaimer: Power Rangers is Saban's world, not mine. And, alas, the song "Here With Me" is by Dido and I don't own that either. No money's being made off of this, so don't sue thinking that I have any._

_Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated!_

_Here With Me Part Six_

_2003-2006 by Amie Martin_

-- Jason --

"Yes."

No matter how softly Aimee spoke, the quiet determination in her voice was enough to almost physically knock me over. Tightening my grip on Aimee's shoulders to keep from losing my balance, I could hardly believe what I'd just heard. Aimee couldn't be a Ranger.

She just _couldn't._

Before today, Aimee had never been a fighter -- she was a dancer, and her place was on stage, not a battlefield. Sure, she was a rebel, but this was taking it a little too far. Tommy wouldn't want her to become a Ranger just because she wanted to impress him.

No -- that wasn't true. _I _was the one who didn't want her fighting, didn't want her on the front lines. And it wasn't because she was Tommy's sister, but because she let me call her AJ and her favorite color was green and she always followed her heart…

…Because I couldn't protect her, once she was a Ranger. It was a promise I'd already made to myself, and already one I couldn't keep.

"AJ," I murmured, "please don't do this."

Aimee spun around to face me, surprise and defiance flashing in her green eyes. "You think I won't be able to do this?" she answered, a hint of a challenge in her voice.

"No, I'm sure you'll make a great Ranger, it's just…" I let go of her shoulders so I could run my fingers through my hair. "Hell, AJ, I don't know."

"Maybe we should go." Ashley flashed me a soft smile as she hooked her arm through Andros'. "I think Jason and Aimee have some things to discuss."

"Discuss, right." It wasn't hard to hear the curse under Aimee's breath.

"But what about--" Andros started to protest, but Ashley held a finger up to his lips to silence him.

Smiling up at Andros, Ashley told him, "It can wait a few minutes." To Aimee, she said, "There's a chamber down the hall from here, on the righthand side. We'll wait for you there, and then we'll talk powers and battle strategy."

"Sounds good." Aimee shrugged. "I won't be long, promise."

Ashley nodded and proceeded to usher her fellow Space Rangers out of the conference room, leaving Aimee and I alone. As the silence hung between us, the rational part of my mind tried to figure out why exactly I was so concerned with Aimee's safety. It had been three years since I'd last seen her, but in the span of a few hours I was already acting as if we'd never been apart. What was it about her that did this to me?

The answer, it seemed, was simpler than it appeared to be at first. Aimee and I had always been like this, I realized, ever since I returned from the peace conference in Geneva. When I'd left, she'd been very much a child -- demanding my attention, clinging to Tommy's side. When I came back… she'd grown so much in the time I'd been away. Aimee became more than just Tommy's little sister, but a friend and a confidant in her own right. That was when the bond between us had started to grow, bringing out feelings I didn't know existed…

And now, her transformation was complete. With her teenage years behind her and the new challenges that lay ahead, Aimee was far from the child I remembered her to be. She'd morphed into a mature rebel, a beautiful woman, and it seemed as if I was the only witness to the change.

Had I been able to see the signs, the last time I'd seen her, nearly three years ago?

_-- Flashback --_

I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face as I watched Aimee's dark green car rip into the Youth Center parking lot. It was just like Aimee to drive like she owned the road, always speeding, always taking risks. It had been a while, maybe a month, since I'd last spent time with her, and I couldn't quite explain why I smiled. Part of it was the way she drove, part of it was her mere presence…

Rising from where I sat on the steps of the Youth Center, I waved as I watched Aimee park the car. "I thought you taught her how to drive, not how to race," I called jokingly as both Olivers stepped out of the car.

"I think I did a pretty good job, but that's just my opinion." Tommy shrugged as he gave me a high five. "What's up, Jase?"

"Just waiting for you, as usual." Looking over Tommy's shoulder, I called to Aimee, "Good of you to come, AJ."

She gave me a small smile, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned back against the car. "There was a lot of arm twisting between the two of you, if you ask me," Aimee remarked, flipping her long hair over her shoulder.

"Don't lie to me, AJ, you know you loved every minute of it." I held my arms out a little, as if welcoming her. "Don't I even get a hug?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely…" The smile on Aimee's face morphed into a full-blown grin as she sauntered over to me, wrapping her slim arms around my neck as she embraced me. "It's good to see you, Jase."

My arms fell into place around her waist, as if they belonged there. "Same here." Smiling down at her, I added, "After all, it seems like I never get to see you anymore."

"That's just because you never come to see me." Aimee squeezed my shoulders tight for a few long seconds before letting me go. "It's a situation that's easily remedied, you know."

"Now that you've got that precious license of yours, you can come to me." Chuckling, I brushed a strand of hair out of Aimee's face. "Wouldn't that be something different?"

Aimee just smiled. "I think you might like that too much," she teased lightly.

Over Aimee's shoulder, Tommy cleared his throat, an almost amused look on his face. "Oh, I'm sure he would," Tommy commented, "and you can see why I'd be a little concerned." The hint of a smile told me he was joking -- for the most part. "Can't let my little sister out with just anyone, you know."

"And like you have any say in who I hang out with." Aimee rolled her eyes, and I laughed. "Influence, maybe, but that usually doesn't count for much."

"Especially not with the way you act, always being so stubborn." Coming up behind his sister, Tommy threw an arm around Aimee's shoulders. "And speaking of being stubborn, didn't you say you had some homework to take care of?"

She groaned, nodding her head in reluctant agreement. "Yeah…"

"And you haven't seen Jase in so long…"

"Tommy, what are you saying?" Aimee shot a quizzical yet suspicious look at her brother. "That doesn't sound good, you know."

"I think he wants you to stay with us," I suggested, Tommy nodding in agreement. "I mean, you could work on whatever you've got while we train, and after we could get pizza or something."

Unconsciously, my heart beat faster, just a little. I wanted her to say yes -- I didn't want her to leave so soon, no matter what I told her earlier on the phone.

Her eyes met mine for a brief second before focusing on a point just over my shoulder, and it took a moment for me to realize what she was looking at -- the door to the Youth Center. I winced as I remembered why Aimee never came here, even though nearly two years had passed since it happened. Her first real boyfriend broke up with her here, and I had been the only unfortunate witness to her heart's destruction. Aimee still held onto her feelings, and I couldn't ask her to do this, as this was the one demon I could see she still wasn't ready to face.

When she didn't say anything, Tommy looked down at her and frowned. "AJ, don't tell me you still won't go in the Youth Center. I mean, that was, what, two years ago or something."

"I like grudges, Tom. They're fun." Aimee cracked a weak smile at the poor joke. "I'm not… I just don't want to go in there, okay? Let's just leave it at that."

"You're going to have to get over it someday, you know." Tommy crossed his arms in front of his chest, staring down at his sister. "So I take it you're going back home, then?"

The look in her eyes was sad, almost apologetic, but with a hint of jaded sarcasm. "It's not like I don't want to stay," Aimee said bitterly.

"Then we won't stay here." My solution came easily, the words just pouring out of my mouth. "It's a beautiful day outside -- we could head over to the park and work out there."

I could almost see Aimee's shoulders relax at the idea. "Now, that's a suggestion I like," she said, smiling triumphantly at her brother.

Tommy shook his head in resignation. "Fine, have it your way. But this time I'm driving."

"Good, because I'm going with Jase." Tossing Tommy her car keys, Aimee moved to stand by my side. "Just don't wreck it for me, okay?"

"Nice -- my own sister, turned traitor." In spite of his words, Tommy was smiling as he walked back towards Aimee's car. "So I'll see you two there?"

"We're not going to run off on you, if that's what you mean." I chuckled, waving him away. "Go, we'll catch up in a few minutes."

Slipping an arm around Aimee's shoulders, I guided her to the other side of the parking lot, where I'd parked my car, a beat-up black Grand Am. Aimee hovered close to my side, shivering a little in the slight breeze. Unlocking the car, I reached inside and pulled out a faded black sweatshirt from the backseat. I tossed it to an unsuspecting Aimee, chuckling as the heavy fabric practically fell on top of her head.

"What the hell was that for?" she half-grumbled, gathering the sweatshirt in her arms.

"You look cold." I let go of her so she could pull the fabric over her head. Leaning back against my car, I watched her carefully, still able to feel the emotional concern radiating from her. "Are you okay, AJ?"

Aimee, looking like a lost little girl with my sweatshirt coming down halfway to her knees, stared down at the ground. "…Not really," she admitted softly, pulling the sleeves of the sweatshirt over her fingers.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head, and I pulled her close to me again, running my fingers over her long dark hair. Rocking her back and forth in my arms, I said quietly, "You know, Tommy's right -- you _are _going to have to face this sooner or later."

I could feel her shaking against my chest. "Tom's stronger than I'll ever be," Aimee whispered into my shirt. "I mean, he can face all sorts of things… he doesn't let his emotions rule his life, like I do."

"No, he keeps it all inside, and that's not good either." I sighed, holding her tighter, knowing Aimee wanted the physical contact more than anything else at the moment. "Broken hearts heal with time, AJ, they always do. Someday you're going to get past this -- and I'll be here for you, whenever you need me."

"…Whenever I need you?" Aimee looked up at me, her bright green eyes filled with tears.

"Whenever you need me." On a whim, I planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'll always be here for you, AJ. Always."

The smile she gave me was stronger, bordering on a smirk. Aimee's eyes were glittering, her tears fading as quick as her mood was shifting. "Always," she mused. "I think I like the sound of that."

Laughing, I only shook my head. Leave it to Aimee to go from practically crying to practically teasing me in a span of a few minutes. "Come on," I said, tugging on her hand, "we should get going. Tommy's waiting for us."

_-- End Flashback_ --

I looked up, Aimee's eyes seeming to bore holes into my skull as she stared back at me, arms crossed in front of her chest. She leaned back against the conference table, keeping about five feet of space between us, but I could still recognize the simmering anger she held just beneath the surface. Aimee's mood had shifted again, and this time it wasn't for the better.

"Well?" Her voice was sharp, bitter, stubborn. "I thought you had something to say to me."

In spite of the situation, I gave a small, soft chuckle. Aimee had grown up, yes, but she still had the same blunt determination I remembered from her childhood days. Quieting, I shook my head and said, "You're not really serious about this, are you?"

"And why shouldn't I be? Tom was a Ranger, you were a Ranger. You guys did just fine out there."

"AJ, that wasn't my point." I took a step closer to her, and I was relieved when she made no move to pull away from me. "We trained our entire lives for something like this. We knew what to do when we were attacked. You, on the other hand--"

"I didn't do such a bad job down in the ruins, if that's what you're referring to," Aimee snapped.

Sighing, I brought one hand to my forehead, massaging my temples gently. "We were lucky, AJ -- there could have been so many more warriors down there, in the beginning. You're a dancer… this isn't the life you have to live."

"But I have to." Aimee's demeanor softened; she uncrossed her arms and relaxed a bit. It was then that I noticed the Dragonzord coin, still clutched in her hand. "You heard them, Jase," she explained, staring down at the coin. "They need an Oliver to activate the Dragonzord, and they said -- they said they'd help look for Tommy."

Bridging the gap between us, I put one hand under Aimee's chin and tilted her head up, so she was forced to look into my eyes. "And I would have helped you, too," I reminded her, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"I didn't say I didn't need your help." Aimee bit her bottom lip, as if she was nervous about something. "Jase, you're the only one I have left," she whispered, her voice coming close to breaking. "If I lose you, I'll be alone again, and I don't think I can handle that."

"You're not going to lose me." I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tighter than I had originally planned. "It's just… I don't know, AJ. I'm worried about you, fighting out there…"

"Then teach me." Her words were slightly muffled as she buried her face in my chest. "Teach me how to fight."

I blinked. "You want me to teach you martial arts?"

She nodded. "You keep saying I don't know what I'm doing, so we should change that."

"I suppose I could do that." I rested my cheek against Aimee's hair. "You'd have to promise to actually listen to me, you know," I commented.

Now, Aimee laughed, looking up at me with an almost-smile on her face. "Well, you've got a better chance of telling me what to do and actually getting me to do it than most people."

"I think I'm going to take that as a compliment." Becoming serious, I rested my forehead against hers, surprised again at just how close Aimee and I had become in so short a time. "So I can't talk you out of this?"

"Afraid not." Aimee smiled wistfully. "Remember the last time we saw each other? You told me you'd always be there for me, whenever I needed you."

"I remember."

"Jase… thank you."

"For what?"

Aimee hugged me, her arms clinging to my neck. "For keeping your promise. So far, you're the only one who has…"

I smiled, dropping a kiss on the crown of her head. "Of course, AJ… I'd never break a promise to you. Tommy wouldn't either… just wait and see."

After a moment, I reluctantly pulled away from her, my brow furrowing a little. "The other Rangers are probably looking for you," I said, running a hand over my hair.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Aimee shot a glance towards the door. "Will you come with me?" she asked, and I thought I heard a bit of nervousness in her voice.

"Well, it's not everyday that you become a Ranger. You didn't really think I'd miss that, did you?" Grinning, I offered an arm to Aimee. "Come on, I'll show you the way."

Aimee's eyes sparkled almost mischievously as she looped her arm through mine. "Lead on, Red Ranger," she said.

As I guided her down the hallway, I couldn't avoid the nagging sense that I was bringing Aimee one step closer to fulfilling some part of her destiny, her path in life. If everything happened for a reason, then maybe Aimee was meant to come back to Angel Grove, find me, become a Ranger. After all the things I'd seen in my life, I'd learned not to question fate as much as I used to.

All I knew was that I would do anything in my power to help Aimee, not because she was my best friend's little sister, but because she was my friend, my confidant, from days gone by. If Aimee wanted to become a Ranger, then I had no choice but to support that decision.

I only hoped it was a decision she wouldn't live to regret.

-

_A/N: For all those who have been reading this all along, I thank you, and you have more than earned your fair share of cookies from me. I can never apologize enough for the ever-increasing period of time between updates, but now that the semester's over and I have only my job to worry about, perhaps I'll have some more time to write and finish this story by the time school starts back up again. _

_I have the nagging feeling that something's missing from this section, but I can't quite put my finger on what. This may be from the fact that it was written in huge pieces, mostly during breaks between double shifts at work, and in trying to connect one day's work to another I may have missed something. Let me know what you think of the work, what's good, what's bad, and the like, and then I can try and fix it to the best of my ability._


	7. Part 7: Aimee

_**Disclaimer: **It's still Saban's sandbox, I just play here because it's fun. The title "Here With Me" comes from the song by Dido, and I don't own that either._

_Reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated!_

_Here With Me Part Seven_

_2003-2006 by Amie Martin_

_-_

-- Aimee --

It was hard not to be intimidated when walking into a room with five people staring at me, because I knew they were, and had been, waiting for me. I tried to shrug it off, drawing a deep breath and throwing my shoulders back.

Part of me thought Jason could sense my tension, because he came up behind me and rested his hands on my shoulders. It was reassuring, knowing he was there for me. God knew he knew more about what was going on here than I did.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" he whispered in my ear, and I didn't need to see his face to know he was smirking.

I elbowed him in the ribs, smiling in spite of the nervousness I felt. "I was waiting for _your_ slow ass to catch up with me," I teased, pushing open the door to the chamber where Ashley told me to meet them.

All five of the former Space Rangers looked up when Jason and I entered the room. There was a large pedestal in the center of the room, with six places for someone to stand around the edge of the structure. Each small section had a thin bar of light in one of six colors – red, blue, black, yellow, pink… and green.

"So, is everything figured out?" It was Ashley's voice, soft but not prying, but it was still enough to startle me in the silence that had swallowed the room whole.

I blinked; once, twice. "Yeah, we're good," I told her, watching Jason make his way to the side of the room, where he leaned back against the wall, assuming the role of the casual observer easier than I thought he would. Turning to Ashley, I managed a smile and asked, "What did I miss?"

"Just the general plan for the fight. It won't hurt to go over it one more time." Andros gestured for me to join the others at the pedestal, at the green-lit empty spot. It was a moment before I realized that the colors matched the uniforms the other Rangers wore, and that I myself wore a green v-neck shirt that day… Shaking my head, I took my place at the pedestal, standing between Ashley and Carlos.

"As I was saying," Andros continued, "our first goal is to keep Volkadir out of the Command Center ruins. He's got quite the army at his disposal, so it's not going to be as easy as we'd like." As Andros spoke, a small hologram appeared, floating above the center of the pedestal, showing the ruins and the current formations of Volkadir's troops.

I studied the diagram for a second, my brow furrowing. Yes, Volkadir had a lot of minions, but I'd already fought them once, without any powers, so six Rangers should be able to take them… right? "Well, the soldiers are really easy to get rid of," I said, gesturing to one of the formations on the diagram. "If you strike them hard enough in the head, they turn to dust."

"Still, that's a lot of soldiers to fight at once," TJ commented, rubbing his chin.

"But being Rangers should help… right?" I looked around, seeing nothing but quiet, concerned faces. "I'm just saying that those guys aren't our big problem, Volkadir is."

Andros nodded in agreement. "Aimee's right. That's our most important goal – to get Volkadir. I'd rather prevent a war than start one."

"So how are we going to stop Volkadir?" Cassie asked, leaning forward against the pedestal.

"I'm… not sure." Andros gave a small shake of his head. "The information we have tells us he's clever, smart, and ruthless. He'll stop at nothing to get the power he wants."

"Then we'll stop at nothing to stop him," I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest. "Sounds like a good enough plan to me."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jason shake his head, and next to me, Carlos chuckled. "She's got a point," the Black Ranger said.

"So… are we ready to do this?" Ashley seemed to say exactly what we were all thinking.

I looked over at Jason, who looked like he was clenching his jaw so tight his teeth might break, but he didn't say anything. Instead he only nodded, and I could guess at what he meant: _It's your show now, AJ. Good luck. _

Turning back to the other Rangers, I nodded, a little quickly. "Bring on the soldiers," I said, letting a hint of a smile drift across my lips.

"Okay then." Andros looked up at me, "Aimee, there's a slot in front of you, for the Dragonzord coin. That's the last piece we need in order to receive our new powers."

Pulling the coin from my pocket, I paused for a second. _I hope I'm doing the right thing, Tommy, _I thought to myself, spinning the coin in my hand before dropping it into the small, circular opening.

The pedestal started to glow, and I wanted to take a step back, only my feet were frozen in place. Each of the colored bars of light started to emit a wispy colored smoke, and my green mist was cool to the touch. I closed my eyes as the smoke started winding its way about my arm and torso, as a tingling feeling started creeping up my fingertips.

A sudden jolt shot up my spine. Losing my balance, I fell forward, grabbing the pedestal in front of me to keep from dropping to my knees. The metal pedestal shuddered as the same reaction happened to the other Rangers. My eyes squeezed shut as the sensation spread through my entire body…

I gasped, lifting my head to stare at Andros across from me. He wasn't wearing his silver-gray uniform anymore, but a red spandex-like suit with white accents at the wrists and a gold stripe across his chest. Andros was breathing heavy as he reached out to take the helmet that appeared in front of him, cradling it in his white-gloved hands.

Blinking, I looked down, still a little surprised to see my own outfit had changed as well. Instead of black leather and green shirt, my uniform was similar to Andros', only mine was an olive green color. At my waist there were two short blades, one at each hip. Almost in reverence, I pulled one of them out of its scabbard, gazing at the blade.

"Those blades interlock," Andros said, locking his helmet into place as he walked over to me. "The handles snap together, and when you do, then you can access the Dragonzord."

"Got it." I put the blade away and reached for my helmet, its face shaped like a dragon's mouth.

Andros nodded in acknowledgement. "Everyone ready?"

"Any day now," Carlos said, and the other Rangers agreed.

Before putting my helmet on, I cast a glance at Jason over my shoulder. He'd moved to clenching the side of the countertop, as if doing so would keep him from coming over and helping me. I smiled at him. "Be back in a bit," I said, my voice stronger than I actually felt as I snapped the helmet in place over my head.

"Rangers, ready for action?" As soon as Andros asked the question, my limbs started to have that tingly feeling again, and it was a moment before I realized we were transporting. It wasn't a sickening feeling, but a wave of fear hit me. This was real – this wasn't a game.

Just what had I gotten myself into?

We landed just outside the Command Center ruins, near where Jason and I had fought the first batch of warriors. Volkadir's soldiers had formed two main attack groups, while Volkadir himself sat in his chariot in the center, surrounded by his own crew of guards. Although we had what I thought was the better strategic position, it was clear just how outnumbered we were.

"Split into two groups," Andros said, a heavy sword in one hand and a small blaster in the other. "Take out what warriors you can and make your way towards Volkadir. Let's try to end this before it gets worse."

"Whatever you say, boss." I unsheathed my swords, noticing how light they were in my hands. "No turning back now."

I was the first to meet the incoming warriors, wasting no time in defeating the first two I met with quick blows to the head. Growing up, Tommy had taught me a few of his fighting moves – "Just in case you need to protect yourself," he'd told me. At the time, I thought I'd be able to handle any fight with a few punches and a knee in the groin. Now I knew how much work went into training for something like this.

No matter what happened, I convinced myself I'd be all right if I didn't stop moving. What I didn't have in sheer power I could make up for in speed, and I was counting on this to get me through the battle. Every time a warrior lunged for me, I tried to sidestep their blows, my body remembering dance moves I thought I'd long forgotten. Meanwhile, I kept my blades spinning, hitting what warriors I could and keeping the area closest to me relatively free from harm.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of blue and pink. TJ and Cassie were fighting alongside me, and it had been a few minutes before I realized they were even back there. TJ's fighting style reminded me of the way Tommy or Jason fought – classic martial arts. Cassie, on the other hand, was more graceful, but she was taking out just as many warriors as TJ was. They were talking to each other, covering the other's back – working together as a team.

In the brief seconds I stopped to watch TJ and Cassie, I didn't realize that I stopped moving, leaving myself open. The attack came from the side, one warrior using its blade to knock away one of mine while another came up behind me and pushed me to the ground.

"Son of a bitch!" I cursed under my breathing, rolling onto my back and deflecting a blow meant for my head with the one blade I had left. My other one was lying a good 20 feet away from me, nice and out of reach. "Uh, guys? Someone want to give me a hand here?"

The warrior above me grinned, a sick and twisted expression that only made me want to kick this guy's ass even more. It was putting all its weight behind its blade, trying to push my own weapon into my neck. I tried to move my legs to kick it, do anything to get this weight off of me, but it had my knees locked, pinning me where I was.

A flash of blue arched in front of my face, TJ's foot striking the warrior in the temple. I coughed as a cloud of shimmering black dead-warrior dust settled over me, rolling out of the way so I could take the hand TJ offered.

"Thanks, I owe you one," I said, trying to brush some of the dust off of my uniform. Where TJ and I were standing was relatively warrior-free, but I knew the quiet would only last a few minutes, if that.

"No problem. Are you okay?" Even with his helmet on, TJ still managed to look concerned.

I shrugged. My arms were sore, but I wasn't going to say it. "I'm fine. What about you and Cassie?"

"Nothing to worry about." Cassie ran up beside me, my fallen blade in one hand. "Here, I think you lost this."

Taking my weapon from her, I smiled gratefully, wondering if she'd be able to see it. "Thanks, Cassie."

"Hey guys, take a look at this." TJ pointed at Volkadir's chariot, about 500 feet from where we stood. Peaking out from behind him, I narrowed my eyes to try and get a better look.

I drew a sharp breath.

Volkadir had stepped out from his chariot, his guards gathering at his side. His robes were black, looking like that gauzy material my mom once had for our living room curtains. When the wind blew, his long sleeves and wide pant legs billowed behind him. Around his waist there was a delicate scabbard, encasing a long, thin sword. Even from over here, I could see the scar on his face.

"Incoming! More warriors at three o'clock!" Cassie seemed to be shouting in my ear as my grip on my swords tightened.

Now or never.

Without thinking, I took off, running towards Volkadir and his henchmen. Behind me, TJ called, "Aimee, don't! Wait for us!"

"I'm not going to let him get away!" I shouted back, ducking one warrior's blow to my head while lashing out with my foot to trip another. If someone told me this morning that this is what I'd be doing right now – fighting as a Power Ranger, the same as my brother before me – I would have said they were insane. But it was true, and all I wanted was to take out Volkadir, to end this battle before it could begin.

Now, Volkadir was standing in the way of finding my brother.

Apparently I wasn't the only one with the same idea – Andros met me halfway to Volkadir's chariot, Ashley and Carlos running to catch up with him. "Worry about the warriors and leave Volkadir to me," Andros said, blade in hand.

"What, and leave you alone out there?" I shook my head. "Jase should have told you, I don't sit on the sidelines. So are we doing this or what?"

Andros stared at me for a second, as if deciding what to do. "Just be careful," he said, and together we started towards Volkadir.

The first wave of warriors didn't present much of a challenge as Andros and I flew through them, taking out any and all who stood in our way. When I turned, I could see the other Rangers along the edge of the group, fighting their way towards us. After a few minutes – although in the tunnel vision of fighting, it felt like longer – I stopped short, faced with the enemy I only knew from the Rangers' computer screen.

For a moment, the three of us stared at each other. Volkadir wasn't wearing shoes, and the sand swirled around his veined feet. I could feel Andros behind me, tense, a cat ready to pounce on its prey.

Volkadir chuckled, sending shivers down my spine. "I should have known there would be Rangers." His voice was rich, but the vowels were too long; I doubted English was his first language. Hell, I doubted Earth was his first _planet_, for Christ's sake.

"We're not going to let you take over the old Command Center," Andros said, and I didn't need to see his face to tell just how determined he was.

"You say that now." Volkadir drew out a long thin sword and pointed it towards Andros. "You can try, Red Ranger, but you won't get far."

It was my turn to be cocky. "Watch us." I adjusted my grip on my blades and charged at him.

My first idea was to aim for his head; maybe Volkadir was like his warriors and would turn to dust if I hit him hard enough. But where the warriors seemed to put themselves in the path of my blade, Volkadir was smarter. He dodged my first few blows before lashing out with his sword, almost catching me in the leg. While I took a few steps back to reposition myself – shift my weight to my right foot, then cross over with my left – Volkadir struck, kicking me square in the chest.

I doubled over, trying to breathe through the pain as Andros took my place. I tried to watch their fight to see where I could jump back in, but I kept seeing the other warriors getting closer to us. As fast as the Rangers were taking them out, more warriors were just taking their place. Time was running out on us.

"Aimee, your powers!" Andros blocked one of Volkadir's blows and countered with one of his own. If nothing else, the boy knew how to fight with that sword of his. "Call on them, now!"

Struggling to get to my feet, I took a quick second to examine the handles of my blades. Sure enough, one end had a small indentation where the other handle would fit snugly. I fitted the two end together and twisted, saying out loud, "I call upon the Dragonzord!"

A rush of power filled my veins, taking away the last twinges of pain from Volkadir's blow. My outfit changed again, this time including a gold vest of sorts and a new weapon – a flute-like dagger at my hip, along with the lance I'd made. Behind my helmet, I couldn't stop myself from grinning.

Volkadir pushed Andros aside and turned to face me. Andros quickly found a few warriors and was in the process of killing them, his attention diverted for the moment. It didn't look like he saw Volkadir stalking towards me.

"Oliver." My last name was a curse on his lips, and while fear rushed through me at the thought that he knew who I was, adrenaline pushed it aside.

"Damn straight." I spun the lance in my hands, noticing how Volkadir's eyes followed its movement. "Now, where were we?"

He snarled and closed the gap between us, moving to slash at my face with his sword. The new lance spun easily in my fingers, deflecting the blow and cutting off a piece of Volkadir's gauzy clothing in the process. Shifting the blade from his right hand to his left, he came at me again, and this time I dodged, trying to move behind him, out of the way of that massive blade.

I ended up closer to his side than his back, which wasn't exactly what I wanted to happen, but I could make do with the situation. Letting my feet slide out from underneath me, I hooked one foot around Volkadir's knee, bringing him down a couple of feet. As he staggered, I regained my footing and rushed at him, kicking him in the head.

His body didn't turn to dust like I'd hoped; instead his head rolled to the side and hung there for a second before turning to look back at me. "Do you think it's that easy to defeat me?" Volkadir asked, a chill to his voice.

"Given how bad your warriors are? Yeah, I was kind of hoping." I shrugged. "Don't worry, I'm not through with you yet."

He slid to his feet in one motion, his legs moving as if they were rubber, without knees to hinder their movement. "I wouldn't say that, Oliver. I thought I'd already taken care of you."

Volkadir's words did more damage than all of his previous blows combined. He knew I was an Oliver, yes, but he also knew I wasn't Tommy – the Oliver he had "already taken care of." Tears stung my eyes, but I couldn't wipe them away with my helmet on. If Volkadir was the reason why I couldn't find my brother – if something had happened to Tommy because of this man's sick power plot – I would tear Volkadir apart limb by limb. Rangers or no Rangers, that son of a bitch would be mine.

I reached for my dagger with my free hand, my lance still clasped in the other. "I swear, if you've done anything to Tommy, you're a dead man."

"I think you'd enjoy that, little one." Volkadir started pacing in a slow circle around me, as if daring me to make the next move. "Forgive me if I deny you that particular pleasure."

With a flick of my wrist, tiny laser beams shot out from my dagger, hitting the sand just before Volkadir's feet. "Who said I'd give you a choice?"

He withdrew a small device from within his robes, a thin box with a red button on the top. It reminded me of one of those buttons that read, "Do not press unless in an emergency."

"Sorry, but that confrontation will have to wait," Volkadir said, thumb lingering over the button. "I hate to be so brief, but I have other matters to attend to."

Behind him, his chariot started to mutate, growing taller than any building I'd ever seen. The poles the warriors had used to carry it across the desert thickened and turned into arms and legs; the gauzy crimson curtains hardened into a kind of armor. While I was busy staring up at the monstrosity before me, Volkadir gave me a small wave and teleported out of sight.

"Get down!" It was Andros' voice, and he was the one who pulled me to the ground as the chariot-monster-thing began raining down fire on us.

I struggled against him. "He's getting away--"

"He's already gone, Aimee." Once the assault was no longer facing our direction, Andros released his grip on me. "We'll have to take care of this first and go back for Volkadir later."

"And just how do you plan to do that?" I gestured up at the chariot. "In case you didn't notice, that thing's the size of a skyscraper."

Andros just looked at me. "With the Zords, of course," he said. "The dagger will call the Dragonzord for you."

By then the other Rangers had finally rejoined us, moving to stand near Andros. Together the five of them lifted one hand into the air and vanished away. On the horizon, I could see heavy mechanical objects making their way towards the chariot.

I turned the flute over in my hands. Music was something I knew as part of the dance, not how to create it. Did the Dragonzord need a certain tune to wake up or show up or whatever the hell it was Zords did when not in battle? There were so many questions I needed to ask when this was all over. I brought the dagger to my lips and blew.

The delicate, almost sweet melody carried through the desert. From the opposite side of the battlefield, a shimmering form took shape – glinting green and silver metal, a dragon's face and a long tail whipping back and forth.

"Now _that's _what I call a Zord," I said, grinning as I found myself being transported, just like the other Rangers had done.

The Dragonzord's cockpit was a little less complicated than I had expected it to be. There were a lot of buttons on the two side control panels, but the center console was pretty basic – a glowing green joystick to control movement and a line of buttons to control different weapons, specifically a type of missile and the tail. I was pretty sure I'd be able to get the hang of using the Zord after a couple tries and a few hours learning what did what in here.

"Aimee? Can you hear me?" Andros' voice came somewhere from my right, and it was then that I noticed a small speaker in the upper corner. Apparently Zords came with an intercom system.

"Loud and clear," I said. "So what's our game plan?"

"We've got the Megazord ready to go." It was Ashley who spoke this time. "The Dragonzord will be left on its own for now. Just unleash whatever you've got and we'll try to end this as quick as we can."

"Got it. Good luck over there."

"Same to you." There was a click, and Ashley's voice faded away.

I settled back in my seat, grabbing onto the joystick with one hand while the other hovered over the weapon controls. Unlike the other Rangers and their Megazord, I was further away from the transformed chariot, and I had a lot of ground to cover. For the first few minutes, all I could really do was watch.

For all of its size, the chariot didn't seem to be too fast. While it landed a few good blows on the Megazord, the majority of its swipes missed completely. The Rangers fought back with a giant sword, leaving large diagonal gashes in the chariot's arms and legs.

As I got closer, one blow from the Megazord sent the chariot tumbling in the other direction. I jerked the joystick hard to the right, sending the Dragonzord spinning. Its tail smashed right into the chariot's main section; the metal crumbled, but it still managed to land a few blows on the Megazord before stumbling back a few steps.

Fumbling, I reached up for the switches above my head, looking for the switch for the Zords' intercom. There was a loud click and I could hear the Rangers' voices again – Andros shouting commands, with added status reports from the others.

"Uh, guys?" I began turning the Dragonzord towards the chariot. "I've got missiles over here, think they'll help end this?"

I could almost hear the relief in Cassie's voice. "If you can aim them at the midsection, we could follow up with a few blows of our own, and then--"

"Game over," TJ said. "Aimee, fire in three… two… one…"

I couldn't tell if the shot was properly lined up when the countdown ended, but from what I could tell, they were pretty big missiles and they'd cause lots of damage no matter where they hit. I hit the three buttons in order – left, right, center – and watched a dozen red streaks stream across the bottom of my viewscreen. The Megazord seemed to be following my lead, taking the opportunity the missiles created to cleave the chariot in half.

The explosion covered most of the viewscreen, bright enough to make me squeeze my eyes shut even behind the helmet. Now that the battle seemed to be over, I already wanted to be out of the Dragonzord and back on Volkadir's trail. He'd said he'd done something to my brother, and I wasn't going to wait to find out what it was. I needed to be useful for a change, and I'd wasted too much time as it was.

Twisting around in my seat, I started looking for an exit when the tingly feeling of transportation came over me again. Part of me thought I must have hit a wrong button as the Dragonzord disappeared around me.

A moment later I was in the conference room where Andros had first explained Volkadir's threat. I landed hard on my shoulder, staring up at Jason's feet. It was only when I grabbed my shoulder to try and ease the pain that I realized I wasn't wearing my Ranger uniform anymore. Somewhere between the Dragonzord and the base I'd switched back.

"Whoa, AJ, are you all right?" Jason wrapped his arms around me and helped me stand. But his touch seemed to burn me, and I shrugged him off in spite of the pain in my shoulder. "What happened down there?"

"Tommy, he said he did something to Tommy." My hands shook as I ran over to the nearest computer. I didn't know what all the screens were used for, but I'd try every one until I found what I wanted.

"Who said that?" Jason came over to my side, and this time he laid a hand on my back. "Was it Volkadir?"

I could only nod, not taking my eyes off the computer screen. So far, all I'd managed to find were schematics for the Rangers' base. I hit another button, calling up more information, more useless data.

"AJ, look at me. _Listen_ to me." Jason turned me so I was facing him, and once his eyes had mine, I couldn't look away. "How do you know Volkadir was telling the truth?"

I tried to swallow the lump forming in my throat. "He knew I was an Oliver," I whispered, "and he said – he said he thought he'd already taken care of us."

Worry flickered through Jason's eyes, and I could tell he was trying to hide it from me. "Tommy's a good fighter," he said. "It's going to take a lot more than Volkadir to stop him."

"But what if something happened – what if he's hurt--" I tried to turn back to the computer, but Jason held me in place. "I have to find Volkadir and make him tell me what he did."

Behind us, the door to the conference room slid open, and from the footsteps filing in I knew the other Rangers had joined us. I drew a deep breath and steadied myself; I was not going to lose control in front of a group of strangers.

Andros came over to stand next to Jason. "Volkadir's forces are pulling back," Andros said. "It looks like the Command Center is safe for now."

"Yeah, and we're letting him get away." _And a lead on Tommy's whereabouts along with it, _I thought.

Jason shook his head. "He'll be back. Enemies like him always are."

"And it buys us a little time to start looking for your brother," Andros said. He gave me a small, almost encouraging smile. "Don't worry, we're going to find him." With that, he turned back to his friends, taking a seat next to Ashley and sharing a computer with her.

Wrapping an arm around my shoulders, Jason guided me to a chair. "Andros is right, you know," he said, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. "He can't stay hidden for long, not when he has us and the Rangers looking for him."

I stared past Jason's shoulder and out the large window. Outside, the stars seemed to fill the entire sky, each one representing one more opportunity, one more challenge I'd have to face in order to get Tommy back. For the first time since the initial attack on the Command Center ruins, I let my body relaxing, slumping down in my stool.

"I hope you're right, Jase." My eyes drifted closed. "I hope you're right."

-

_Author's Notes: Again, I apologize for the time in between updates – the original plan was to have this story finished last summer instead of this one, and I hope you find this worth the wait. It's certainly a lot longer than I planned for it to be, and I know writing fight scenes isn't exactly my greatest skill, but I thought I need to write out Aimee's first real battle as a Ranger and I think I managed to get a good sense of her voice throughout this. _

_Many thanks go out to my first readers for this section, Meg and Sarah (even though Sarah's going to make fun of me for this for about the next month or so). The "CLICHÉ! OH NOES!" note in the handwritten draft of this still amuses me every time I read through it. _

_Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think!_


	8. Epilogue: Aimee

_**Disclaimer: **It's still Saban's sandbox, I just play here because it's fun. The title "Here With Me" comes from the song by Dido, and I don't own that either._

_Reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated!_

_Here With Me Part Eight_

_2003-2006 by Amie Martin_

_-_

-- Epilogue: Aimee --

-- One week later --

Leaning back against the hood of my car, I surveyed the entrance to Adele's Surf Spot. Ashley had invited me to join her and the other Rangers here for smoothies and pizza, something that did sound appealing. "Besides," she'd said, "you look like you should go out and have some fun for a change."

I knew she was right, but I still stood here, waiting. Ever since Volkadir's first attack the week before, I couldn't get a full night's rest. I kept thinking about what his next move might be, waiting for the attack to come… and wondering if what he said about Tommy was true. There wasn't any evidence about anything, and for the past week, that thought bothered me more than everything else.

"Part of me thought you might not show up today."

Startled, I turned to see Jason beside me, helmet propped on one hip. I'd been so out of it, I hadn't noticed his motorcycle pulling up next to my car. Turning back towards the Surf Spot, I said, "Let me guess – Ashley invited you."

"She said you looked like you could use a vacation." Jason gave me a quick once-over. "And from the circles under your eyes, I'm inclined to agree with her."

I shrugged. "Haven't been sleeping well. It happens."

Jason joined me, leaning against the hood. "You're still worried about what Volkadir said about Tommy."

"Of course I'm worried. I can't go this far only to find him…" I refused to say the word "dead," because I would know if Tommy died. It was something I knew I'd feel in my soul. "I just want proof of what happened. I've had enough of wondering and second-guessing myself."

"If he's out there, we'll find him." Jason sounded more confident than I felt. He reached out and rubbed my shoulder. "It's going to be okay, AJ. It's just going to take a little more time, that's all."

"But all I do is wait." I shook my head. "I've been waiting three years to find Tommy, hoping someone will tell me something I can use. Now I have to sit around here too, waiting for Volkadir to try to take over the world again."

He sighed, his hand not leaving my shoulder. "It's called being a Ranger, AJ, about being part of something bigger than yourself. I can't say it gets easier, but you do get used to it."

There was an almost wistful smile on Jason's face, like he cherished those days when he was in my shoes. "You miss it, don't you? Being a Ranger?"

"Sometimes. But it was different then… I was fighting alongside all of my friends." He glanced over at me. "It doesn't make it any easier to see you out there, risking your neck."

"You'll get used to it." I gazed back at the Surf Spot, remembering when it was the Youth Center and I'd meet up with my brother and his friends… his fellow Rangers. "All of you were Rangers, weren't you." I didn't phrase it as a question.

"Yeah, all six of us were."

"Even him?"

Jason faltered, turning to stare at me. From the look in his eyes, I knew he knew who I was talking about. My ex – the guy who left me here. "Not while you were dating him, but yeah, he was a Ranger too, for a long time."

I fell silent, staring down at the ground. There was so much going on here, things in my own past as well as in Jason's, and it was changing how I saw the world. A week ago I had a mission but no direction, a destination without a map of how to get there. I spent my time drifting from place to place, echoing Tommy's footsteps – but I was doing more than that now. I was a Ranger, with all the responsibilities that came with it. When Ashley asked if I'd help, I hadn't expected it to feel like this. Plus, everyone I'd known all those years ago shared the same legacy…

"Hey, are you okay?" Jason's voice was quiet, his hand sliding up and down my back.

"Yeah." I straightened and turned to face him. "Just thinking, that's all."

"Gotcha." Jason tilted his head to the side. "You ready to go inside?"

For the first time in a long time, an almost-content feeling came over me. Something about all of this felt right, and all I had to do was see it through until the end. "I'm ready."

I was ready for anything.

_-- End Part One --_

_Author's Notes: When I first started this story, I intended for it to be episodic – this story being like the first episode of a television series. _Here With Me_ is finished, but I am working on the next story already, and I promise – no really, I _promise_ – to not let there be such a delay. I know there's a lot of questions left in here ("Where's Tommy?" being the big one) and the next parts will try to answer them. While this story may be ending, the overall plot is just beginning, and I hope you'll stick around for the next parts as well. _

_Thanks for reading this far, I really appreciate it. Let me know what you think!_


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